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Pure power: Citroen goes greener

<b>ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY:</b> It seems size does matter but for Citroen smaller is better. Its new engines have been reduced in size and are more eco-friendly.
<b>ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY:</b> It seems size does matter but for Citroen smaller is better. Its new engines have been reduced in size and are more eco-friendly.
The arrival of PureTech petrol engines in the Citroën range is, the automaker says proof of the brand’s commitment to “Créative Technologie”.

The new family of three-cylinder engines have power equivalent or superior power to the previous generation units with fuel consumption down by 25%.

They're available on several brand ranges including the C3, DS3.

GOING GREEN

The design brief, Citroen says called for a clean break in power-train development to make substantial cuts in emissions and fuel consumption, to reduce the weight of the engines and to make them more compact.

Two versions have been developed: a one-litre and a 1.2 with power ranging from 50-60kW. Depending on the model and the tyres fitted, combined-cycle fuel consumption is between 4.3 and 4.6 litres/100km with CO2 emissions from 99 to 107g/km.

The engines feature the latest technologies to meet customer expectations among them a timing system with two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder controlled directly by two mechanical push rods for enhanced cylinder fill-up and efficiency. Continuously variable hydraulic timing for the intake and exhaust cams mean for better performance.

On the VTi 82, a counter-rotating balance shaft will make the engine smoother and quieter.

DOWNSIZING TECH

Reducing weight and friction and downsizing technology significantly cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Already used on a number of other Citroen family engines, diesel and petrol, downsizing is particularly relevant for the new engine range, which is now the entry-level offer.

To deliver at least the same performance as the previous generation, engine efficiency had to be improved to offset the reduction in the number of cylinders. A three-cylinder engine has a number of advantages over a four-cylinder, among them reduced energy loss through friction, fewer moving parts, lower weight and more compact dimensions, all of which cut fuel consumption.

These improvements, Citroen says, make the PureTech engines the new benchmark for ultra-low friction, which has been reduced by 30% overall.

An attempt to find out when the engine will be arriving in South Africa proved unsuccessful.
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