Volkswagen boosts Beetle Turbo and Jetta GLI with EA888 Gen 3 engine; more power, improved fuel economy
03 May 2013
|
|
| The EA888 for the US. Click to enlarge. |
The Volkswagen Beetle Turbo, Beetle Turbo Convertible, and the Jetta GLI receive a number of running changes to 2013 model year cars that go on sale this month. The most notable of these is fitment of a new version of the EA888 Gen 3 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI gasoline engine.
The new engine delivers a manufacturer-estimated improvement in fuel efficiency for the Beetle models of between 4-8% percent on the combined cycle and by up to 9% percent on the city cycle. The new engine produces 210 horsepower (157 kW), an increase of 10 hp over the previous Gen 2 TSI engine.
Peak power is generated 200 revs higher in the engine range, at 5300 rpm, and torque remains unchanged at 207 lb-ft (280 N·m). Thus equipped, the Beetle Turbo coupe takes 6.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, 0.2 seconds less than the previous version. At 6.7 seconds, the Jetta GLI is a tenth faster with the manual transmission and two tenths quicker with the DSG dual-clutch automatic than the cars equipped with the Gen 2 engine.
The EA888 Gen 3 engine is designed to be lighter and more fuel efficient than the unit it replaces. Engine weight has been reduced by 8 lbs (3.6 kg), to 290 lbs (132 kg) overall.
Among the improvements on this engine are: a thin-wall crankcase casting; exhaust headers that are integrated into the cylinder head; smaller diameter main bearings; roller bearings for the twin balancer shafts; and a crankshaft that has four counterweights instead of eight.
A new factory in Silao, Mexico—part of Volkswagen’s ongoing $5-billion investment in the North American market—is producing the EA888 localized for the US market. The EA888, a global product for Volkswagen, is also produced in the EU and China.
Gen 3
8 lbs lighter.
Aluminum screws.
Thin-wall crankcase casting
Simple exhause camshaft
Exhaust headers integrated into the cylinder head
Smaller diameter main bearing
Roller bearings for the 2 balancer shafts
Crankshaft with 4 counterweights instead of 8.
Planned for gen 4
High strength steel screws for durability
Separate exhaust headers for reduced cooling load
Variable valve timing exhause camshaft
Heavier crankcase wall to reduce noise
Crankshaft with 8 counterweights vs. 4 for less noise.
Hydrodynamic balancer shaft bearings for reduced cost.
Increased diameter main bearings for durability.
And weighs only 8 pound more
Posted by: ToppaTom | 03 May 2013 at 05:22 PM