!NEW! Pure Pleasure: Highly Efficient 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo in the New Opel Astra

• All-aluminum: four-cylinder gasoline unit of the latest engine generation
• Instant throttle response: Dynamic response and ample performance
• Pure high-tech: Direct fuel injection and turbocharging for highest efficiency
• Milestone: Eight millionth engine from Szentgotthárd a 1.4 liter turbo

All-aluminum: Opel 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo with central direct fuel injection will be available in the new Opel Astra in two outputs, 92 kW/125 hp and 110 kW/150 hp.

The full name of the new Opel engine is 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo and it will celebrate its world premiere in the new Opel Astra at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA) in September. The four-cylinder turbocharged unit with central direct fuel injection will be available in two outputs, 92 kW/125 hp and 110 kW/150 hp. This combination links the new all-aluminum engine to the recently introduced 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo known from Opel ADAM and Corsa. In fact, the new 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine is the big brother of the one-liter, three-cylinder unit that has been praised by the trade press since its introduction in the Opel ADAM ROCKS and the new Corsa generation. Both engines are members of the so-called small gasoline engine family – a group of high-tech engines with three or four cylinders and a displacement below 1.6 liters. They are key players in the biggest engine offensive in Opel’s history which will see 17 new engines brought to market from 2014 to 2018.

Best in class: The new Opel four-cylinder engine purrs like a kitten

A lot of attention was paid to dynamic responsiveness and high performance while curbing fuel consumption during the development phase of the 1.4-liter turbo. The engine delivers maximum torque of up to 245 Nm very early. The maximum power is available between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm – an outstanding torque plateau. Perfect conditions for driving pleasure in combination with efficiency. According to preliminary data, the powerful turbo with Start/Stop will consume a mere 4.9 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers in the combined cycle (114 g/km CO2). The 1.4-liter turbo will therefore be able to outperform even two-liter gasoline engines in all performance characteristics and replace them. The engineers once again paid close attention to low noise levels and vibration behavior during the development of the 1.4 liter turbo – just like they did for the one-liter, three-cylinder unit. The engine block was constructed with resonance reduction in mind, the oil pan split into two, the integration of the cylinder head into the exhaust manifold is noise protected, a sound absorbing cam cover has been designed, the high-pressure injection valves decoupled and the timing chain trimmed for quiet concentricity.

Pure pleasure: Highly efficient 1.4 Liter turbo in the new Opel Astra.

“Our new turbocharged 1.4 liter, four-cylinder engine with central direct injection is part of the newly designer small gasoline engine family and embodies its attributes ‘powerful, efficient and cultivated’. The all-aluminum unit is not only environmentally friendly but also sets new standards in driving comfort,” said Christian Müller, VP GM Powertrain Engineering Europe.

The lightness of being: The new degree of efficiency

Based on its construction, the new 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo adds less weight to the car. The aluminum engine block alone weighs ten kilograms less than the cast-iron block of the current 1.4 liter turbo, making it the perfect match for the new, highly efficient Opel Astra. Apropos efficiency, this is where the 1.4 turbo can really show its technical advantages: to make the engine as light as possible, the crankshaft is hollow cast, the oil pump drive is especially low friction and the oil pump works in two pressure levels accordingly. The entire engine is designed for low friction oils with a viscosity grade of 5W-30. All of these measures ensure fuel efficiency of the highest standard.

While the three-cylinder Opel units are typical representatives of engine downsizing (smaller, lighter, more efficient), the Opel engineers speak of “rightsizing“, i.e. the perfect balance between low load and high load efficiency, when talking about the new 1.4 liter four-cylinder engine.

Milestone engine from Szentgotthárd

The 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo is manufactured in the Opel Flex Plant in Szentgotthárd. And it is already responsible for setting a new milestone for the Hungarian plant. The eight millionth engine from Szentgotthárd left the production line today and it was, of course, an all-aluminum, four-cylinder unit that will make its debut in the new Opel Astra from September.

“We have world class flexible engine plant in Hungary and it plays a key role in our product strategy. Congratulations and a huge thanks to the entire team here – eight million engines is something to be very proud of and I am sure that we will be able to celebrate even more milestones here in the future,” said Peter Christian Küspert, Vice President Sales & Aftersales Opel Group, who attended the celebrations along with Marc Schiff, Executive Director Manufacturing Opel/Vauxhall Europe, members of the Hungarian government and local officials. 

Highly Efficient 1.4-Liter Turbo: Marc Schiff, Executive Director Manufacturing Opel/Vauxhall Europe, Peter Christian Küspert, Vice President Sales & Aftersales Opel Group, and Plant Manager Tamás Solt (from left to right) with the new 1.4 Direct Injection Turbo from Szentgotthárd.

!NEW! Serial Production of the newest Opel engine family started in Hungary

·         High performance, low emission engines for the new Opel Corsa and Opel ADAM ROCKS

·         Opel Vice President Joachim Koschnicke unveiled the engine with Hungarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Economy Peter Szijjarto in Szentgotthárd

·         The most modern Opel engine plant now builds three engine families on the same line

Unveiling the newest Opel SGE engine family: Opel Vice President Joachim Koschnicke , Deputy Minister Foreign economic relation, Peter Szijjarto and plant manager Tamas Solt (from left to the right).

The serial production of the new Small Gasoline Engine (SGE) family (1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo) ceremonially started at the newest and most flexible Opel engine plant in Szentgotthárd, Western Hungary in the presence of Joachim Koschnicke, Opel Vice President Government Relations and Public Policy and Hungarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Economy Peter Szijjarto. With this addition, the new engine plant builds three different engine families on the same line offering a wide range of powertrain for the new Opel models.

Unveiling the newest Opel ECOTEC engine family: Opel Vice President Joachim Koschnicke , Deputy Minister Foreign economic relation, Peter Szijjarto and plant manager Tamas Solt (from left to the right)

“The Szentgotthárd Flex plant plays an important role in our product strategy. Between this year and 2018, 27 new Opel models and 17 new engines will hit the market and many of these engine novelties will be built here”, said Joachim Koschnicke, Vice President Government Relations and Public Policy. “We show very clearly that Opel is back. Opel is on the attack. Our model offensive is in full swing, and engines are a very important part of this offensive.”

New Opel ECOTEC 1.0 Direct Injection Turbo

Koschnicke also spoke about the longer term strategy of the company: “We are setting clear targets that stretch all the way to the year 2022. Our first target is to go from being third in the European passenger car market to being second. We aim to achieve this with a market share of 8 percent in Europe and 10 percent in Germany in 2022.”

Hungary is one of the 11 countries where Opel increased market share in the first half of 2014. Opel has not only been the number one brand in three consecutive years on the Hungarian passenger car market but in the first half of this year, the brand could grow its sales in the country by 68 percent. That is more than twice of the average growth of the market and secures an over 13 percent market share and clear number one overall position for Opel in Hungary.

Tamás Solt, Plant Manager and Launch Director of the Flex plant said: “Last year, in our old facility building mainly 1.6 115 hp engines and Flex Plants, we manufactured 354,000 engines and only 15,000 of them were Flex products. In comparison, this year 100,000 of the 400,000 engines will already be Flex engines. Next year, more than the half of the 500,000 engines will be Flex products.”

The new Szentgotthard Flex plant is a 700 million Euro investment with a capacity to build 600,000 engines a year. The technology implemented there makes the plant one of the most flexible automotive manufacturing facilities in the world capable of producing three different engine families on the same line. Opel’s new 1.6 gasoline turbo, 1.6 CDTI turbo diesel and now the new small gasoline engines are built there. All of these engines are characterized by high performance and low emissions, plus outstanding smoothness and very low noise levels.

The one liter turbo engine with 90 and 115 horsepower is just the first member of the small gasoline engine family, which will include many different applications between 1 and 1.4 liter displacement. The three-cylinder engine will have its debut in the ADAM and new ADAM ROCKS – the mini Opel crossover – and it will also be introduced in the Fifth Generation Corsa coming to the markets at the end of this year.

Opel presents new midsize gasoline engines at Aachen Colloquium

• All-new family of downsized turbocharged engines
• CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption reduced by 13 percent
• 33 percent higher power and torque
• Class leading refinement

Opel revealed details of its new midsize gasoline engine family at the Aachen Colloquium in Germany. The all-new 1.6 liter, four cylinder, SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) ECOTEC Turbo engines, which begin Opel’s renewal of its powertrain portfolio, bring significant benefits to the customer in terms of fuel consumption, performance and refinement, while affecting the environment as little as possible. CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption have been cut by 13 percent compared to the predecessor engine, while peak torque and peak power have been increased by up to 33 percent.

The new engine family comprises a 1.6 liter Eco Turbo with 125 KW/170 hp and 280 Nm peak torque, as well as a Performance Turbo variant offering 147 kW/200 hp and 300 Nm peak torque. The 170 hp engine has been developed with fuel economy, high low end torque and elasticity in mind, while the performance of the 200 hp unit makes it the benchmark in its class. The roll out of the new engine family – which has been developed in Ruesselsheim, Germany – will begin in early 2013.

Opel ECOTEC 1.6 SIDI Turbo EURO 6 Engine

“The new midsize gasoline engine family is the first milestone in the fundamental renewal of our powertrain portfolio. Not only do these downsized engines deliver smooth acceleration and strong pulling power, they are also highly refined and environmentally compatible,” says Global Assistant Chief Engineer MGE, Marcel Frensch.

At the heart of the new SIDI ECOTEC Turbo family is an all-new cylinder block able to withstand peak cylinder pressure of 130 bar. Cast iron was selected as the preferred material for the cylinder block in combination with an aluminum bedplate.

Class leading refinement and performance

Opel has designed the new midsize gasoline engine family to be a leader not only in emissions and fuel consumption, but also in terms of refinement and performance.

Key development objectives for refinement were low overall radiated noise and vibration levels, and no unusual sounds. Achieving these goals enabled vehicle integration that can tune primary engine orders in the induction and exhaust systems to meet specific vehicle objectives. The excellent acoustic and vibration performance of the engine is crowned by the cam cover, which is decoupled from the cylinder head via specific fasteners and a sealing system designed for high temperatures, due to the nearby turbocharger.

As a result of these “sound engineering” measures, the customer perceives quiet and smooth idling, no unusual noises throughout the operating range, and a pleasant sound quality even at high speeds and loads.

Balance shafts are industry first for 1.6 liter four cylinder engines

Opel’s SIDI ECOTEC is the only engine in its class to offer balance shafts. The two balance shafts are inserted in tunnels from the rear end of the cylinder block and are driven by an inverted tooth chain. The exhaust side shaft features cast iron gears to reverse rotational direction of the exhaust shaft. The optional system offsets the vibrations inherent in the design of four cylinder engines and thus helps to maximize comfort and reduce noise to a minimum.

Turbocharging for high low end torque

The design and sizing of the turbocharging system plays a key role in enabling downsized engines to deliver excellent performance and drivability, while meeting CO₂ targets.

Smaller displacement engines with high specific torque and boost levels require fast transient response, especially at low engine speeds, in order to be a valid replacement for larger displacement engines. Thanks to its specially designed turbines, the midsize gas engine’s turbocharger provides response that is usually generated by twin scroll turbines on larger engines.

The engine retains the proven concept of a turbine integrated exhaust manifold. This design was chosen instead of a twin scroll concept because of its packaging and manufacturing advantages. Although the turbocharger has identical interfaces, each variant of the new SIDI ECOTEC engine features a dedicated turbo aerodynamic.

The compressors are designed to deliver high low end torque without generating noticeable aerodynamic sounds. Combined with low and high pressure resonators, airborne noises effects like hiss, pulsation and blade pass noise are almost completely suppressed. With additional aspects like air handling, duct design and control strategies for let off noise, the new engine benefits from an aggressive boost strategy without the typically associated turbo related acoustic degradation.

Compared to the predecessor engine the new SIDI ECOTEC turbo delivers a remarkable improvement in elasticity, for example, reducing the time for 80 km/h to 120 km/h fifth gear acceleration by about 20 percent.

Direct Injection for High fuel Efficiency and Performance

In addition to refinement and performance, high fuel economy and low emissions were the main development objectives of the new 1.6 liter engines. Opel’s engineers therefore selected a central direct-injection fuel system, for optimum fuel efficiency and minimal emissions.

The central location of spark plug and injector over the combustion chamber, and their orientation parallel to the crankshaft, forms a compact package with the capability to support homogeneous and stratified engine operation.

The valve train is operated by low friction hydraulic roller finger followers and driven by a timing chain with a maintenance free hydraulic tensioner. Acoustics are further improved by the inverted teeth of the cam drive chain. For mass reduction the midsize gasoline engine features a two piece crankcase design, supported at the lower end by a die cast aluminum bedplate.

The cylinder block is manufactured using an innovative thin wall casting method. This allows the integration of different functional features directly into the raw block and offers potential to reduce production time.

The engine uses a broached press fit between the cylinder block and the bedplate instead of dowels, in order to optimize the main bearing shape as well as its positional accuracy. The structural design considers the engine’s use in a variety of vehicle applications, allowing minimum integration effort and consistent part interchangeability.

The structural benefit derived from the combination of a forged steel crankshaft, optimized main bearing journal diameters, and iron main bearing cap inserts results in minimized noise and vibration at mid and high rpm.

Two different pistons have been designed for the Eco and Performance Turbo engines. Each has a dedicated top land including a small bowl. A cast iron ring carrier adapted to the high cylinder pressures is common to each piston. The PVD coated first piston ring is an additional friction reduction measure.

“Flex Plant” in Hungary is home to the engine renewal

Production of the new 1.6 liter SIDI ECOTEC Turbo engine alongside the other new engine families will be at the Szentgotthárd plant in Hungary and will begin in late 2012. The factory uses the “Flex Plant” concept which enables gasoline and diesel engines to be built on a shared assembly line.