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• Direct injection and turbocharging
• 110kW/245NM
• Premiere at Frankfurt auto show
RUSSELSHEIM, Germany - Opel has caught up in the smaller-capacity engine race with the announcement of a direct-injection 1.4 Ecotec turbo engine for its world premiere of the new Opel Astra at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2015.
The four-cylinder turbocharged unit will be available in two outputs: 92kW and 110kW. Opel says the new engine is linked to the new all-aluminium engine to the recently introduced 1.0-litre ECOTEC turbo in the Opel Adam and Corsa.
SMALL PETROL ENGINE FAMILY
The two engines are from the 'small petrol engine family' - a group of high-tech engines with three or four cylinders displacing less than 1.6 litres. Opel will bring 17 new engines to market by the end of 2018.
IMAGE GALLERY: 2015 Opel Astra
Dynamic response and fuel consumption were the main attributes on which engineers focused and the new engine torque figure of 245Nm is available from 2000-3500rpm. Opel claims (not ideal for the real world) 4.9/100 in the combined cycle.
Opel says the engineers paid close attention to quietness and cutting vibration during the development of the 1.4 turbo.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 was designed, the high-pressure injection valves decoupled and the timing chain trimmed for less noise.
Christian Müller from powertrain engineering Europe said: "Our new turbo 1.4 four-cylinder with central direct-injection is part of the new small petrol engine family and is "powerful, efficient and cultivated".
"The all-aluminium unit is not only environmentally friendly but also sets new standards in driving comfort."
LESS WEIGHT = MORE POWER
Based on its construction, the new 1.4 is lighter than other engines inthe Astra - it's block alone by 10kg compared to the cast-iron block of the current 1.4 turbo.
To make the engine as light as possible Opel made a few technical changes: the crankshaft is hollow, the oil-pump drive is especially low-friction. The entire engine is designed for low-friction oils with a viscosity grade of 5W-30. Each of these measures, Opel says, helps to reduce fuel consumption.
NEW ERA: Opel's new 1.4 turbo engine will coincide with the world premiere of the Astra
at the 2015 Frankfurt auto show in September. Image: Opel Germany
