Opel has started chasing waterfalls, rather than sticking to the rivers and lakes that it’s used to, with a modified mill that is making its way into boats.
Puns aside, the unit is dubbed Oxe, which means ox in Swedish. It’s based on the 2.0-liter diesel that is normally found on the Cascada, Insignia and Zafira and was adapted by Cimco Marine AB to develop 200 PS (197 HP) at 4,100 rpm and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, at 2,500 rpm.
Billed as durable and easy to service, the diesel burner is produced in Germany and needs to be serviced every 200 hours, with a major inspection after 2,000 hours. If this seems like too much of a headache, Opel explains that boat engines “are under immense strain because they have to run at full throttle most of the time”, so these intervals are in fact perfectly normal.
The fuel consumption stands at 43 liters per hour (11.36 gph US), which is actually 42 percent less than a modern two-stroke outboard engine. Moreover, ambient sound is said to be considerably reduced – plus, running on diesel has the added benefit of a low fire risk, so the harbors that forbid boats with gasoline outboard engines are no issue for Oxe-powered ones.
Cimco Marine AB tested several passenger car diesel engines until settling to Opel’s four-banger, and before being released, it was tested for three years, until the end of 2015. The company states that it has been adapted for use in rough seas and one of the first units has been already delivered to a Scottish salmon farm.
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