New 1.6-Litre Diesel Engine continues Powertrain Renewal at Opel

SYDNEY – Jan 17, 2013: Opel continues the fundamental renewal of its powertrain portfolio with an all-new four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine. The second family of new downsized power units to be introduced after the gasoline 1.6-litre SIDI ECOTEC, the 1.6-litre CDTI ECOTEC diesels will replace existing 1.7-litre engines and certain lower powered versions of the 2.0-litre range.

Featuring closed-loop combustion control and an aluminum block, the new 1.6 CDTI ECOTEC is the first diesel from Opel to comply with future Euro 6 emissions requirements. The engine will be available in a variety of power outputs across several carlines.

Class-leading attenuation of noise, vibration and harshness, high power/torque density and low fuel consumption were the main development objectives. Initially maximum power and torque have been increased versus the 1.7-litre engine to 136 hp and 320 Nm respectively, while fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 10 per cent compared with similarly powerful 2.0-litre diesels.

“The comprehensive renewal of our powertrain portfolio continues at wide-open throttle,” said Dr. Thomas Sedran, Deputy Chairman of the Opel Management Board. “Our new 1.6-litre diesel will set benchmarks for refinement, performance and environmental compatibility. By the end of this year we will have launched three all-new generations of gasoline and diesel engines, as part of our roll-out of 23 new models and 13 new powertrains by 2016.”

The new 1.6-litre diesel and its innovative engine control unit have been entirely developed in-house by a global team of engineers in Turin, Ruesselsheim and the USA. This approach has enabled a comprehensive system optimization from the very beginning of the design process. Beginning in the European spring, the 1.6 CDTI ECOTEC will be manufactured at the same “flex plant” as the new 1.6-litre gasoline engine, in Szentgotthard in Hungary.