"Five door family hatchbacks are not renowned for flair or excitement but the Fiat Ritmo is set to change everything with fresh dynamic styling inside and out, cutting edge engines that deliver performance and economy and a chassis that is sharp, responsive and great fun" says David Stone, General Manager for Fiat Cars in Australia. "Developed from the styling seen on the award-winning Punto, the Ritmo has the effortless style for which Italy is so famed, with a breathtaking overall shape and fine detailing."

"The Ritmo is powered by two unique engines, the new 1.4 litre T-Jet Turbo petrol engine that pumps out 110 kW and which offers the ability to provide more acceleration literally at the press of a button, and the acclaimed 1.9 litre JTD Multijet diesel. Equipment levels are lavish and pricing is keen, so the Ritmo will enable Fiat to take the next step up in our growth plans for the marque in Australia."

The new Ritmo joins the Fiat Punto, which relaunched Fiat in Australia last year and is the first of two new models to be launched in 2008 that will redefine Fiat's position in the car market. The Ritmo is a strong entrant into the upper end of the increasingly important small car market sector, while the Fiat 500 which will arrive in March is, quite simply, the most sort-after new car to enter the Australian car market in 2008.

Initially Fiat will offer four versions of the Ritmo in Australia, with additional models to arrive in 2008, including self-shifting gearbox versions. The two trim and equipment levels, Emotion and Sport, are offered with a choice of the advanced 1.4 litre 110 kW T-Jet petrol engine and the 1.9 litre 110 kW JTD Turbo Diesel, with prices starting with a recommended retail price of $29,990 for the Fiat Ritmo Emotion T-Jet.

Augmenting an interior design founded on the fundamental pre-requisites of class-leading space, exemplary build quality, and visual and tactile sophistication, the new Fiat's equipment specification has been carefully considered to simplify and enhance life on board. Interior trim is not just good to look at; it also provides a wonderful tactile experience, with different textures to delight on touch for interior trim and upholstery.

Both Emotion and Sport versions are fully equipped, offering electric windows and exterior mirrors, cruise control, power steering, remote central locking, an advanced audio system, AirCon, alloy wheels and a host of other features as standard.

As befits its name, the Sport adds comprehensive performance orientated equipment package, including rear spoiler; sideskirts; Climate Control AirCon; sports pedals; front sports seats with lumbar adjustment of driver's seat; leather sports steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake knobs; sports upholstery, red brake callipers and 17" sports alloys with 225/45 tyres.

The Sport versions also come with the innovative Blue&Me integrated telematics system developed in a joint venture with Microsoft, which has proven so popular that more than 20 per cent of Fiat vehicles sold in Europe are now equipped with it. In simple terms, it offers hands-free system with Bluetooth(TM) technology with steering wheel controls, instrument panel with multifunction display, MP3 audio file player from a USB port and SMS text reader.

While right is fully endowed with Italian 'brio' and spirit, it is also supported by cutting edge design and development technology that ensures that its beauty is also more than matched by brains.

The new Ritmo, using a name derived from the Italian word for rhythm was created in just 18 months from design 'freeze' to production. To achieve this record-breaking development time, Fiat employed new, groundbreaking, state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) systems of unprecedented power and complexity, allowing the development of this new hatchback to be undertaken almost entirely through virtual analysis and engineering.

So sophisticated is the computer software involved, that not only could Fiat's engineers simulate every aspect of the Ritmo's structural, dynamic, NVH and accommodation characteristics to a level of unprecedented detail, but they were also able to create a virtual production-line to ensure consistently outstanding component and build quality.

The benefits of these all-encompassing developments in virtual design and engineering are clearly evident in every aspect of the new Fiat Ritmo, from consistently high build quality and class-leading passenger accommodation, to superior driving dynamics, minimal NVH levels and, of course, outstanding safety provision.

The new Ritmo has been awarded a maximum 5-star rating for adult occupant protection in the gruelling Euro NCAP crash test programme.

Achieving 5 stars for adult occupant safety, 3 stars for child protection and a further 2 for pedestrian protection, the new Fiat recorded 33 points, placing it among the leaders of its category in terms of passive, active and preventive safety.

The 1.4 litre T-Jet 110 kW turbocharged petrol engine, makes its debut in the Ritmo. This is the second example of a new family of turbocharged petrol units developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies to combine the sporting performance and low NVH characteristics of a petrol engine with fuel economy comparable to a diesel unit and CO₂ emission levels which readily comply with increasingly stringent European regulation.

Through cubic capacity downsizing allied to the adoption of the smallest possible turbocharger, Fiat's responsive new 110 kW 1.4 litre T-Jet engine combines performance equal to or better than a conventionally aspirated 1.8/2.0 litre petrol engine, but with a reduction of between 10% and 20% in fuel consumption and emissions.

The T-Jet engine offers an 'overboost' button located on the centre console in Sport versions, will deliver an impressive 230 Nm at 3000 rpm, endowing the Ritmo with a 0-100 kmh acceleration time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 208 kmh. Notwithstanding such lively performance, this superbly responsive powerplant will still return 7.1 l/100 km in the combined cycle and restrict CO₂ emissions to just 167 g/km.

The 110 kW 1.9 litre MultiJet unit in the new Ritmo boasts an impressive 305 Nm torque delivered at just 2000 rpm, allowing acceleration from 0-100 kmh in just 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 209 kmh, whilst returning a fuel consumption of less than 5.6 litres in the combined cycle.

With a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating to its name, the new Fiat Ritmo builds on an already impressive safety portfolio with the full range of braking, traction control and stability systems available on the market today: ABS anti-lock brakes, complete with electronic brakeforce distribution, ASR to limit wheel spin during acceleration, MSR to modulate engine brake torque whilst changing down, and a sophisticated ESP to control vehicle stability through bends, which includes hydraulic brake assistance and a Hill Holder function to facilitate smooth hill starts.

"The new Fiat 500 not withstanding, the Fiat Ritmo is probably the most important car that Fiat will launch this year," says David Stone. "It launches Fiat into a key market sector, one which not just contains some of the key models in the market as a whole, but also which, as the market downsizes in response to environment issues and fuel prices, is becoming a market more important Australian market sector. The Fiat Ritmo has the abilities to take on the key players in the market and its Italian soul will offer car buyers a car that is fresh, vital and dynamic, while being backed by state of the art safety, reliability and durability. We believe it makes a compelling case and represents one of the strongest models in its category."