Volkswagen is expected to phase out its naturally aspirated engines within the next three to four years and replace them with a full range of turbocharged, supercharged and electrified units.

The information was revealed to The Detroit News by the automaker’s head of quality, Mark Trahan.

He said the automaker will replace its three remaining non-turbocharged engines--a 2.5-liter inline-five and two versions of its 3.6-liter V-6--when the models that use each engine come up for redesigns or mid-cycle refreshes, Trahan said.

Many of the new Volkswagen engines will be made at a new engine plant opened in Mexico last January.

It is a strategy several other automakers are adopting, including Volvo which has already revealed its next-generation engines, known as the Drive-E range. Ford is also introducing more of its 'EcoBoost' engines each year.

The main reason is economy. Smaller forced induction engines offer similar performance but improved economy over their larger, naturally aspirated counterparts.

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