| Hyundai, Kia, Skoda Engines | ||
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(Fri 20 Nov 09) According to your own personal preferences, the modern internal combustion engine is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, the work of the devil or an item of no interest whatever as long as it keeps working. But they are central to motoring life, which is why we're going to tell you about two new ones.
In alphabetical order of manufacturers, the first is a GDI (gasoline direct injection) unit developed by Hyundai/Kia. GDI, which was first introduced by Mitsubishi in the late 1990s, is a system which ignores the traditional method of mixing fuel and air outside the engine and then introducing the brew to the cylinders. Instead, the fuel is injected directly into the cylinder, allowing for greater precision than in a more conventional engine. The biggest problem with this is that the air inside a cylinder is a bit stiff, and the Hyundai/Kia engine therefore requires injectors which can inject the fuel at pressures exceeding 2000 pounds per square inch. This isn't easy, which is why not everybody is doing it. But it's worth it for the improvement in performance, fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The first Hyundai/Kia GDI engine is a 2.4-litre unit which produces around 200bhp. It's intended for the Korean market, but similar motors are due to appear in the UK in 2011. Meanwhile, Skoda has confirmed that it is to start production of the Volkswagen Group's 105bhp 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine, which is making its debut in the Yeti, at the Mlada Boleslav plant. There is some historic resonance here, since the news comes in the 110th anniversary of engine production at the factory: Skoda's predecessor Laurin and Klement built its first motorcycle engine there in 1899. Mlada Boleslav also produces the Group's non-turbo 1.2 petrol engine, as well as a 1.4 petrol and 1.4 and 2.0 diesels. These, along with several gearboxes, can be found in Audis, Volkswagens and SEATs in addition to Skodas. |
