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I'll stick with my Eleganza, lol!
Where has the 1.4 Multiair Engine Gone?
- Thread starter s130
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Where has the 1.4 Multiair Engine Gone?
I'll stick with my Eleganza, lol!
We just got the danish prices for the 500X and it seems we'll be getting the 1.4 MultiAir in both 140 and 170 bhp verisons. The 170 bhp is only 4x4 with the 9-speed automatic transmission and the 140 bhp is only 2 wheel drive (both in Lounge and Cross Plus with Traction+) and manual transmission.
Peronally I'm waiting for the TCT and the adaptive cruise control to arrive, before I'll consider the 500X.
Peronally I'm waiting for the TCT and the adaptive cruise control to arrive, before I'll consider the 500X.
And a new version of the 1.4 MultiAir with 150bhp is coming in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in a version called Sprint.
So the MultiAir is not quite dead
So the MultiAir is not quite dead
Really? I've been a passenger in one a number of times recently and think it sounds terrible. It rattles and sounds like your typical 10 year old Corsa IMO. It is clear that they are made on a very tight budget and then sold for stupid money for what they are.
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My mates' parents ended up with a 2009 fiesta titanium 1.6 tdci, and in the short time they've had it, the drivers' seat has broken 3 times, and it's developed a wiring fault.
We know you hate Fiestas with a passion... I would say the faults you've had with your car is worse than these faults you just described.
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Faults? I've only had 1 fault with it, and that was common to cars of all makes and ages this time of year. The comment I was replying to would explain the recurring issues that the people I know are suffering with. Yes, I dislike fiestas, along with most other current superminis, but Christ, I'm not as bad as my mate himself: he finds it highly embarrassing to have a fiesta on the drive of where he lives, and he gets immense satisfaction whenever it goes wrong!
Don't want to take this thread off topic.. Alternator failures are not common on fairly young cars, it's a result of a design flaw on the car..
On to the thread again, multi air, not quite multi air but multi jet, has anyone else noticed GM have released a new 2.0 'whisper' cdti engine, heavily based on the existing engine which is the FPT engine.
On to the thread again, multi air, not quite multi air but multi jet, has anyone else noticed GM have released a new 2.0 'whisper' cdti engine, heavily based on the existing engine which is the FPT engine.
It seems that salvation (and the answer to the above question) may be on the way. In the latest edition of Auto Express (No. 1,357) the editor's column is based around the forthcoming 500X.
"I often refer to Fiat as the 500 Car Company. Log on to the company's website, and of the nine bodystyles on offer, five of them wear the 500's friendly face. When it comes to Fiat's sales, 500s account for the vast majority, with the new 500X set to increase that even more.
This week's revelation that the long-awaited roadster the Fiat group has been developing with Mazda will wear a Fiat badge (first it was rumoured to be an Alfa, then an Abarth...) is a sign of expansion beyond the 500.
Likely to be called the 124 Spider, after the famous sports car of the sixties and seventies, the roadster will be followed [brace yourselves, here it comes at last] by a new Golf and Focus rival-a global sector in all its forms (hatch, saloon, estate) that's difficult to ignore for any car company.
Insiders say that next up will be a Punto replacement-another big selling segment-but plans to expand the Panda range with a bigger Qashqai-rivalling model have been delayed. That's a shame, as for me it's the more innovative models like the 500 and the Panda that have helped put Fiat back on the map. Recent history has shown it doesn't do mainstream well.
But as those Panda 'Qashqai' rumours prove, we've been teased by the prospect of future Fiats over and over - only to find another 500 variant finding its way into the showroom. Fiat's had more false dawns than the English football team, so let's hope the 124 Spider really is the start of a Fiat renaissance we can get excited about.
At least Fiat dealers are showing signs of improvement-up four places in last year's Driver Power survey.'
Sorry about the length of this but I took it down verbatim from the magazine. Er, suddenly I'm not sure about copywrite infringement but it's not done for profit and without credit so I think it'll be okay.
"I often refer to Fiat as the 500 Car Company. Log on to the company's website, and of the nine bodystyles on offer, five of them wear the 500's friendly face. When it comes to Fiat's sales, 500s account for the vast majority, with the new 500X set to increase that even more.
This week's revelation that the long-awaited roadster the Fiat group has been developing with Mazda will wear a Fiat badge (first it was rumoured to be an Alfa, then an Abarth...) is a sign of expansion beyond the 500.
Likely to be called the 124 Spider, after the famous sports car of the sixties and seventies, the roadster will be followed [brace yourselves, here it comes at last] by a new Golf and Focus rival-a global sector in all its forms (hatch, saloon, estate) that's difficult to ignore for any car company.
Insiders say that next up will be a Punto replacement-another big selling segment-but plans to expand the Panda range with a bigger Qashqai-rivalling model have been delayed. That's a shame, as for me it's the more innovative models like the 500 and the Panda that have helped put Fiat back on the map. Recent history has shown it doesn't do mainstream well.
But as those Panda 'Qashqai' rumours prove, we've been teased by the prospect of future Fiats over and over - only to find another 500 variant finding its way into the showroom. Fiat's had more false dawns than the English football team, so let's hope the 124 Spider really is the start of a Fiat renaissance we can get excited about.
At least Fiat dealers are showing signs of improvement-up four places in last year's Driver Power survey.'
Sorry about the length of this but I took it down verbatim from the magazine. Er, suddenly I'm not sure about copywrite infringement but it's not done for profit and without credit so I think it'll be okay.
I read that article in Auto Express. Could see where he was coming from, with the current line-up looking like a sea of 500s and the Panda propping up the rear, but overall it was a bit unfair, as the Punto's, Panda's and 500's have all been very good models and very good sellers.
The MultiAir never really went far, as I've mentioned before. It just wasn't needed in the cars they had on sale once the Bravo and high spec Punto's were discontinued. It's remained on sale in the Alfa MiTo & Giulietta throughout.
The Grande Punto is a bit like the Alfa Giulietta - it was nearly all-new from its predecessor and seemingly didn't get enough real World testing before launch, meaning you'll either get one that hardly goes wrong or one that you'll wanna push off a cliff. The GP got a fair bit of praise from the press at launch and was very good value, but when I sat in one on the launch weekend I thought the quality inside was terrible compared to my Mk2 Punto. The dash design never lived upto the exterior. Like the Giuliettas, I would avoid most early ones unless they're a 'one owner from new' car as that generally points to a car being well-behaved. Thankfully the Punto Evo with its new dash seemed to get nearly all the issues sorted and feels a lot better.
The Fiesta Titanium my Auntie & Uncle have (59 plate) feels more solidly screwed together than the Grande Punto, but no better than a Punto Evo. It's been very reliable, but the quality of the plastics inside are as shoddy as the Grande and the road noise is horrible on the big wheels of the Titanium. Overall not as big a gap between it & the Punto as the press make out, I thought. I do like the current Focus though, and considering the amount of cars Ford sell, they seem a fairly sorted affair regarding reliability & sorting problems (just look at problems on the 500 which Ford have long since sorted on their KA).
I'd have a Ford over a Vauxhall or highly over rated VW any day.
The MultiAir never really went far, as I've mentioned before. It just wasn't needed in the cars they had on sale once the Bravo and high spec Punto's were discontinued. It's remained on sale in the Alfa MiTo & Giulietta throughout.
The Grande Punto is a bit like the Alfa Giulietta - it was nearly all-new from its predecessor and seemingly didn't get enough real World testing before launch, meaning you'll either get one that hardly goes wrong or one that you'll wanna push off a cliff. The GP got a fair bit of praise from the press at launch and was very good value, but when I sat in one on the launch weekend I thought the quality inside was terrible compared to my Mk2 Punto. The dash design never lived upto the exterior. Like the Giuliettas, I would avoid most early ones unless they're a 'one owner from new' car as that generally points to a car being well-behaved. Thankfully the Punto Evo with its new dash seemed to get nearly all the issues sorted and feels a lot better.
The Fiesta Titanium my Auntie & Uncle have (59 plate) feels more solidly screwed together than the Grande Punto, but no better than a Punto Evo. It's been very reliable, but the quality of the plastics inside are as shoddy as the Grande and the road noise is horrible on the big wheels of the Titanium. Overall not as big a gap between it & the Punto as the press make out, I thought. I do like the current Focus though, and considering the amount of cars Ford sell, they seem a fairly sorted affair regarding reliability & sorting problems (just look at problems on the 500 which Ford have long since sorted on their KA).
I'd have a Ford over a Vauxhall or highly over rated VW any day.
We had a 57 plate Fiesta 1.4 TDCi thingy at work and a Zafira with the 1.9 "JTD" engine, among others and they spent about 85% of their time in an urban environment and both stood up to the abuse of multiple drivers quite well.
The Fiesta had a dull engine and 'box and inside was pretty drab but handled well enough and apart from the steering wheel losing its finish and the driver's seat wearing through the bolster, occupational hazard with our lot, would have been worth a punt at auction with 120,000 miles on the clock.
The Zafira too did pretty well apart from the bottom pulley shearing off one day, thankfully while idling.
The Fiesta was replaced with a previous model Hyundai i30 which although reliable with 52,000 miles under its belt and largely reliable is showing prematures signs of wear compared with the Fiesta with the steering wheel and driver's seat both going the way of the Fiesta but at considerably lower mileage. The gearchange also feels as if any bushing in the linkage has worn away and it feels generally tired.
The new Zafira is still good at only 9,500 miles apart from a really annoying buzz from the dashboard at about 1,800 rpm which on a diesel really is annoying as it's the start of peak torque. Signs of corner cutting are in evidence there though as there is no Traction Control which is a bit of a disaster when pulling off in even slightly damp conditions, some of the switchgear fells cheaper than on the old one and the design hasn't really moved on in over 10 years.
I use the above examples of how a dull car can be successful and one that has hardly changed in over a decade can also sell well. To me that perhaps says more about the UK car buyer than it does about the cars.
I quite like the newer Fiestas but I've got to be honest, I really liked the Grande Punto when it first appeared and the dashboard was elegantly simple and, to my eyes, didn't need changing, nor did the exterior styling.
If I could find one I'd have a Grande with the original styling and dashboard but with the multiair under the bonnet. Somehow I don't think that's going to happen
The Fiesta had a dull engine and 'box and inside was pretty drab but handled well enough and apart from the steering wheel losing its finish and the driver's seat wearing through the bolster, occupational hazard with our lot, would have been worth a punt at auction with 120,000 miles on the clock.
The Zafira too did pretty well apart from the bottom pulley shearing off one day, thankfully while idling.
The Fiesta was replaced with a previous model Hyundai i30 which although reliable with 52,000 miles under its belt and largely reliable is showing prematures signs of wear compared with the Fiesta with the steering wheel and driver's seat both going the way of the Fiesta but at considerably lower mileage. The gearchange also feels as if any bushing in the linkage has worn away and it feels generally tired.
The new Zafira is still good at only 9,500 miles apart from a really annoying buzz from the dashboard at about 1,800 rpm which on a diesel really is annoying as it's the start of peak torque. Signs of corner cutting are in evidence there though as there is no Traction Control which is a bit of a disaster when pulling off in even slightly damp conditions, some of the switchgear fells cheaper than on the old one and the design hasn't really moved on in over 10 years.
I use the above examples of how a dull car can be successful and one that has hardly changed in over a decade can also sell well. To me that perhaps says more about the UK car buyer than it does about the cars.
I quite like the newer Fiestas but I've got to be honest, I really liked the Grande Punto when it first appeared and the dashboard was elegantly simple and, to my eyes, didn't need changing, nor did the exterior styling.
If I could find one I'd have a Grande with the original styling and dashboard but with the multiair under the bonnet. Somehow I don't think that's going to happen
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A lot of people criticize the current Punto for its age, and while it lacks the purity of the original Grande, if I was in the market for a brand new car, without doubt, that is what I would buy, with the Corsa and Suzuki Swift being 2nd and 3rd choices.
With regards to the Grande Punto, the design still looks every bit as fantastic today as it did when it was launched. I do think that for sheer style nothing made since can match it, and it will take something pretty damn special to beat it in the future.
The Grande Punto should of been the car to boost Fiat, sadly it was launched under developed compared to its cousin the Corsa.
Then they started to drop loads of trim levels from the range, complete a poor facelift with the EVO version albeit the interior was far better and competitive with rivals, then face lifted it again with a small range with poor choice of engines.
My 1.9 Elegenza looked good, had plenty of kit and drove okay, but was fault ridden most of the time, faults arising from design flaws or poor build.
Then they started to drop loads of trim levels from the range, complete a poor facelift with the EVO version albeit the interior was far better and competitive with rivals, then face lifted it again with a small range with poor choice of engines.
My 1.9 Elegenza looked good, had plenty of kit and drove okay, but was fault ridden most of the time, faults arising from design flaws or poor build.
