There is a wind of change at GM’s European operations as Opel and its sister brand in Britain Vauxhall today announced plans to renew their engine range within the next year with three completely new gasoline and diesel families that will replace the core of their current portfolio.
For the time being, Opel has revealed details on one engine family, a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct injection and Start/Stop.
Opel says the new SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) ECOTEC petrol unit will be offered across several car lines in various states of tune with the most potent version delivering 197hp (200PS) at 4,700rpm and 300Nm (221 lb-ft) from as low as 1,700rpm.
According to the German automaker, both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 13 percent over the outgoing 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
“In just twelve months we are launching three completely new engine generations. This shows how fast we are introducing new products,” commented Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke. “Our new 1.6 liter direct injection engine is a real giant in terms of torque. Power builds up very smoothly and quietly,” explained Opel director of gasoline engines, Thomas Johnen.
Production of the 1.6-liter Turbo will begin at GM’s Szentgotthardt facility in Hungary in late 2012.
Information on the other two engine families is to be released in the coming months.
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