Volkswagen will be making its new 2.0-liter TDI diesel available to American buyers in the second half of this year. A variation of the unit has already debuted in Europe, and the first US models that it will be offered in will be the Passat, Jetta, Golf and Beetle, with other VWs to follow; Audi will be getting it too.
The engine’s code name is EA288 and it makes 150 hp (10hp more than before) and 236 lb-ft or 320 Nm. It features a new and more complex exhaust gas recirculation system, an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold and “a number of modifications to help minimize friction and optimize fuel economy: there are low-friction bearings for the camshaft and balancer shafts, piston rings that have less pre-tension, and the oil pump is a two-stage device with volumetric flow regulation.”
Amongst themselves, VW and Audi currently have 12 different TDI models on offer in the US, and sales of such models were 105,899 units in 2013. This means that last year they grabbed almost 75 percent of the entire (passenger car) sector for themselves.
By Andrei Nedelea
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