downsizing
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Chrysler is reportedly planning a ‘downsized’ 3.2-liter version of its award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. The new engine is said to debut in the replacement for the Jeep Liberty next January at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The information was revealed to Automotive News (subscription required) by company insiders familiar with the project as well as union official Bruce Baumhower. Baumhower also revealed that the new engine will be matched with a nine-speed automatic supplied by Germany’s ZF. With the extra gear ratios, the smaller 3.2-liter engine is said to be...
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Ford Adds 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder To Crate Engine Lineup
Part of the expanded crate engine lineup that Ford Racing Performance Parts has announced for 2012 includes a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder "Crate Engine Concept." The engine serves as a precursor for a range of new four-cylinder offerings in the works, and the good news is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-Benz Returning To Straight-Six Engines?
Just as BMW makes headlines for possibly going with a V-6 engine in its next-generation M3, arch rival Mercedes-Benz is now in the spotlight over news that it is planning to launch a new straight-six engine. On top of this, there’s also word that Mercedes plans to continue its engine...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford Working On Downsized V-6
UAW contract agreements recently signed by Ford revealed a litany of new product details, including plans to manufacture the Ford Transit van in the U.S., introduce a new supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 in the 2013 Shelby GT500, and now details of a new downsized global V-6 engine. The contract...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volvo Downsizing Engines, Moving To Modular Platforms: Video
With the support of cash-rich parent Geely, Volvo is about to embark on a radical platform shakeup that will see the automaker introduce a range of new ‘downsized’ four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Its cars, also, will switch to a new modular platform that the automaker likes...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2012 Lincoln Navigator To Get EcoBoost V-6: Report
Lincoln is in the process of recreating itself, with the aim to turn its current reputation for simply selling tarted up Fords to one of grand American luxury. Part of its offensive will see the introduction of seven new or upgraded models between now and 2014, the first of which is expected to be...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Think turbocharger and you may think high performance, but the latest generation of cars are using turbochargers in order to maintain performance whilst engine capacity decreases in the push for improved fuel economy. Volkswagen is no stranger to forced induction, having used turbochargers on diesel vehicles for many years and on gasoline vehicles more recently in the last few generations of Golf and Passat. Those cars have mostly used 2.0 liter engines though - a capacity that dwarfs engineering firm Bosch's latest 1.2 liter, 3-cylinder Passat. Along with partner Mahle, the Bosche Mahle...
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Fiat Twin-Cylinder Voted Engine Of The Year, Ferrari 458 Italia V-8 Gets Performance Title
There are numerous publications, organizations and companies that hand out awards to the automotive industry for its various technical and design achievements, but few are so lauded as the winner of the International Engine of the Year competition. Judged by a panel of 76 of the world's top...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mazda Unveils SKYACTIV-G 1.3 Direct-Injection Engine For Mazda2
Mazda has taken the wraps off a new ‘downsized’ engine displacing just 1.3-liters but developing upwards of 83 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque thanks to a couple of neat features. The tiny four-cylinder gasoline engine falls under the umbrella of Mazda’s SKYACTIV range of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Four-Cylinder Engines Filtering Across Cadillac Lineup
We already know that the upcoming ATS will feature a four-cylinder engine but this will be just the start of Cadillac’s new four-cylinder onslaught as the downsized engines are also destined to appear in the XTS range and possibly even the next-generation CTS. This will be in stark contrast...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW Reveals Downsized 3 Cylinder Engine, U.S-Bound?
Home of the Ultimate Driving Machine and bringer of Joy to drivers, BMW has revealed its latest powerplant and to the casual observer or diehard enthusiast neither corporate phrase sits very easily with the new engine. The reason? It's a 3-cylinder, and it's low capacity. Buyers in Europe are used...
Antony Ingram -
BMW To Expand TwinPower Turbo Technology To Three-Cylinder Engines
About a year ago we reported on BMW developing a new family of modular gasoline and diesel engines that will include a three-cylinder variant and eventually go into some 1.5 million BMW and MINI models annually. BMW has now revealed that the engines will feature its latest ‘TwinPower...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
According to Mercedes-Benz, America’s dirty fuels, namely its high sulfur content in gasoline, is the main reason why we won’t be seeing a new generation of ‘lean-burn’ engine technology anytime soon. Already on sale in Europe, these lean-burn engines run at a much leaner fuel-to-air ratio than conventional engines, improving fuel economy and emissions. Mercedes-Benz calls its lean-burn engines “Stratified” and says the technology can improve efficiency by as much as 10 percent. However, the technology requires gasoline with a sulfur content of less than 50...
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Report: BMW Plans To Turbocharge All Four-Cylinder Engines
Later this year a four-cylinder BMW engine will return to the U.S. in turbocharged formed, first in the 2012 BMW X1 sDrive28i and eventually the 1 and 3-Series models and even the Z4 Roadster. However, overseas, BMW has been selling a number of four-cylinder engines for some time now, both in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Volkswagen Likely To Axe Twincharger Engine
A few years ago Volkswagen was touting the benefits of its new ‘twincharger’ technology for gasoline engines. Labeled TSI, the technology essentially combined both a supercharger and a turbocharger along with direct fuel injection on a single engine to boost performance throughout the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Geneva Motor Show Preview: 2012 Kia Picanto
The 2011 Geneva Motor Show is still a few months out but already the first trickle of product launches are starting to either be previewed or revealed. The latest is a new minicar from Kia called the Picanto. Designed as a rival for the equally small Toyota iQ, the new Picanto will go on sale in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: First Working Prototype Of BMW’s New Plug-In Hybrid Sports Car
Despite BMW not having built a true supercar for 30 years since its original, limited-edition M1 model, we have reported on a number of occasions that the automaker is trying to reinvent its performance image with a new 'green' sports car combining the best elements of two very important concept...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Study: Luxury Car Buyers Downsizing
The trend toward smaller luxury cars is pickup up pace.
Nelson Ireson