GM boosting V6 engine production

GM will boost production numbers of its HF global V6 engine at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico to meet increased demand for smaller and more efficient engines from consumers downsizing from fuel-thirsty V8s. An additional 350,000 V6 engines will be built at the plant, raising its capacity to 940,000 units per year.

Ramos Arizpe will also start production of the latest generation HF engine, which is 6% more powerful than the previous version of that powerplant. The engines will be used in crossovers like the Saturn Vue, where it develops at 257hp (192kW) and 248lb-ft (336Nm) of torque, as well as the top selling Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

The announcement came during the official opening of a new six-speed transmission plant at the same Ramos Arizpe site, reports Automotive News. The new automatic transmissions reduce fuel consumption by up to 7% compared to earlier gearboxes

This past week we also saw reports that even halo models like the upcoming Camaro muscle cars will mostly sell in V6 variations, with less than a third of sales expected to be V8 models. The downsizing engine trend is something GM will be taking throughout more of its lineup, which means other V6 plants could see more capacity within the coming year.