Fiat to extend use of winning engine

Fiat will subtantially extend the use of its twin-cylinder TwinAir engine which was this week voted as the International Engine of the Year 2011.

In addition to seeing the 85hp turbocharged unit in the upcoming Chrysler/Lancia Ypsilon, a 105hp variant will surface in a new compact MPV which will replace the Multipla.

There will also be a non-turbo version outputting 65hp under the hood of the new generation Panda, due to launch at the end of this year.

From a modest 14,000 units of the TwinAir built in 2010, Fiat expects to produce 100,000 copies of the engine through 2011.