Snap Judgment: Would You Drive a Two-Cylinder Car?

In September, Fiat will install its new two-cylinder Twin Air engine in its compact 500 hatchback for European markets. The engine will allow the already diminutive car to achieve over 55 mpg on the U.S. cycle., but it’s not confirmed whether or not the powerplant will make it to the States. But is there a market for a two-cylinder car in the United States?

Fiat’s new engine, which took almost two years to develop, produces 65 naturally aspirated horsepower, and a turbocharged model will boast 115 horsepower. To reduce emissions even further, a mild hybrid version is also in the works — although it’s highly unlikely that either version is destined for North America.

We’ve seen plenty of two-cylinder cars over the course of automotive history (remember the Citroen 2CV, or even the original Fiat 500?), but few cars utilize the twin-cylinder setup today. Currently, the only other production car to feature a two-cylinder engine is the Tata Nano designed for emerging, and on a recent drive, we learned what bare-bones motoring is like.

Although the 500 will soon make the jump to North America, it’s highly unlikely that the two cylinder — albeit offering decent power and fuel economy — will come stateside.

Today’s Snap Judgment:

Would you buy a car with a two-cylinder engine?

Let us know what you think in the comments section over the weekend.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)