• Maximum Power is increased by up to 10 per cent thanks to the adoption of a power-oriented mechanical cam profile.

• Low engine speed Torque is improved by up to 15 per cent through early intake valve closing strategies that maximize the air mass trapped in the cylinders.

• Elimination of pumping losses brings a 10 per cent reduction of Fuel Consumption and CO2 emissions, both in Naturally Aspirated and Turbocharged engines with the same displacement.

• Multiair Turbocharged and downsized engines can achieve up to 25 per cent Fuel Economy improvement over conventional Naturally Aspirated engines with the same level of performance

• Optimum valve control strategies during engine warm-up and internal Exhaust Gas Recirculation, realized by reopening the intake valves during the exhaust stroke, result in emissions reduction ranging from 40 per cent for unburnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and up to a 60 per cent cut in oxides of Nitrogen.

• Constant upstream air pressure, atmospheric for Naturally Aspirated and higher for Turbocharged engines, together with the extremely fast air mass control, cylinder-by-cylinder and stroke-by-stroke, result in a superior dynamic engine response.

• Using technology already in use of millions of diesel engines ensures built in reliability and fail-safe designs.

• As well as petrol, can also be used on LPG and hydrogen fuel.

• Can also be adapted for diesel engines to reduce their NOx emissions and make particulate filters significantly more effective.

• In short, an engine with Fiat Multiair is quicker, more responsive across the entire engine speed range, uses considerably less fuel, cuts vehicle weight and reduces all types of exhaust emissions by a substantial amount. It will also enable Fiat to maintain its edge in low emissions and low fuel consumption technology, which has seen Fiat crowned for the past two years as the number one car maker for the lowest range wide CO2 emissions and which enables it offer the car with the lowest fuel consumption for sale in Australia.

The first new engine to be equipped with Multiair will be the 1.0 and 1.4 litre family of engines and the first car to see the new engine installed will be the Alfa Romeo Mito at the end of 2009, with a possible Australian and New Zealand launch in late 2010. Its second application will be a new two cylinder engine that will be used in an as yet unlaunched model which could provide the fuel consumption and emissions of a hybrid for a fraction of the cost. This two cylinder engine could also provide the basis for a new hybrid engine system for larger vehicles. A Multiair diesel engine family is also under development.

As with Fiat's Unijet diesel system, which is licensed to other car makers for their own engines, Fiat plans to license Multijet, which cost the company more than Euro 100 million and three years to develop, to enable other car makers to benefit from Fiat's technical expertise.