Volkswagen launches new modular petrol engine family

Volkswagen has released details of its next-generation TSI turbocharged petrol engine line-up, alongside the range’s public debut at the International Vienna Motor Symposium.

The so-called EA2111 TSI evo range is a modular family that is said to offer more power, improved fuel economy and lower emissions than its predecessors. It features variable-geometry turbochargers (VGT) and like Audi's new 2.0-litre engine featured in the latest A4, a Miller Cycle combustion process, where the intake valve is held open for sometime during the compression stroke to strike a balance between power created and reducing the energy required for compression and hence improving overall efficiency.

So far, the only engine confirmed from the new range is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit, available in 130hp and 150hp guises. The 1.5 TSI replaces the 1.4-litre unit of the current TSI generation and will form the basis of the next generation of plug-in hybrid powertrains for production versions of the T-Cross, T-Cross Breeze and T-Roc, as well as the Golf and Tiguan (in both standard and long wheelbases), Passat and possibly Touran.

VW says the 1.5 will make production later this year in international markets, although it hasn't yet confirmed which model will receive it first. The larger 1.5-litre displacement was chosen as it is the biggest size that fits into a particular Chinese road tax category (emphasising how important that market is to global decisions), and also because VW wanted its new units to produce more torque than the outgoing range.

The enlarged cylinder size combines with the use of VGT technology to offer a wider window of boost, with the effects being felt from as low as 1,300rpm. Along with improved cooling, an integrated exhaust manifold and freer-moving parts, the new TSI engines also feature cylinder deactivation technology. The 1.5 TSI is able to shut down two of its four cylinders in certain driving circumstances, helping it to increase efficiency by 10 percent.

VW says reduced inertia and the latest direct injection technology – which uses a smaller injector tip of 6mm that works at up to 350bar of pressure – also gives the new TSI engines faster response rates and cleaner exhaust emissions. This should help the range to conform to the next phase of European CO2 limits which come into effect from 2020.

In India, VW offers the 1.4-litre TSI unit in the Jetta and the Skoda Octavia. However, it is unknown if this 1.5-litre next-generation engine will replace the current unit.