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Volkswagen has used the annual International Motor Symposium in Vienna to reveal a new turbocharged 1.4-litre direct-injection four-cylinder TSI petrol engine.
The compact unit, slated to head into 2008's all-new Polo together with the Golf and Touran later in 2007, develops a claimed 122bhp along with 148lb ft of torque at an ultra-low 1500rpm – figures that outgun VW's naturally aspirated 1.6-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine to the tune of 7bhp and 33lb ft.
The new engine is based around Volkswagen’s excellent Twincharger powerplant, as fitted to the Golf and Touran, with a bore and stroke of 76.5mm and 75.6mm respectively. Unlike the existing 140bhp and 170bhp Twincharger engines, however, it dispenses with the supercharger, relying solely on a turbocharger to swell its reserves.
Also on show in Vienna is Volkswagen’s new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG). The new unit, codenamed DQ200 and conceived for torque loads of up to 148lb ft, differs from Volkswagen’s existing six-speed unit, the DG250, by incorporating a dry sump engineered by German specialist LUK. This arrangement does away with the need for expensive servicing.
In combination, the new turbocharged 1.4-ltire engine and seven-speed gearbox are claimed to provide the Golf with combined average fuel consumption of 48mpg.
Greg Kable
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