In their quest to become a relevant automaker, first China, then in the UK and the rest of Europe, MG has reportedly announced the imminent launch of a modern family of direct-injection turbocharged engines of small capacity, which are designed to rival Ford’s EcoBoost units.
Of course these MG engines have nothing to do with MG aside from the branding, as they are actually being developed by the company’s Chinese owner SAIC Motor Group. The powertrains will be launched in China in the end of 2014, with the Europeans getting them one year later.
The information comes from British magazine Autocar which talked to MG’s head of powertrain, Paul McNamara. He said that the engines will range in displacement from 1.0-liter to 1.5-liter, and power the MG3, MG5 and MG6 (which recently received its first diesel), as well as the production version of the CS concept.
Also, the efficiency of these new power plants should also be improved by Saic’s own dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which is currently in the works. It will be fitted with either a dry or wet clutch system, and they will be used depending on the torque output of the chosen engines. Expect to see these new gearboxes make their debut in China in 2015, so Europe will get them with the customary 1-year delay.
By Andrei Nedelea
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