Fiat is planning to roll out its innovative two-cylinder Twinair engine technology beyond its current use in the 500 — including slotting a normally aspirated version of the motor into the next-generation Panda.
The turbocharged 875cc unit picked up the International Engine of the Year award last week, fighting off four BMW units to claim the overall title. It already appears in the new Lancia Ypsilon, and it will feature in the Punto before the end of this year.
However, Fiat also has plans for a more potent, 105bhp version of the motor, a dual-fuel version that can use petrol or CNG, and a normally aspirated base unit.
The last of those incarnations is scheduled to feature in the next generation of the Panda, where its modest power figure — likely to be little more than 60bhp — is considered a price worth paying for reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and a lower retail price.
Fiat expects to produce around 100,000 Twinair units this year, but its plans for the motor mean that the figure will rise to 250,000 in 2012.
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