Chevrolet to start production of new diesel engine

In March 2006, production of the new diesel engines for Chevrolet’s European range of vehicles will start at the new powertrain facility of GM Daewoo Auto and Technology in Gunsan, South Korea.

Construction of the new diesel engine plant adjacent to one of GM Daewoo’s three vehicle manufacturing facilities in Korea was completed on 31 March, 2005. Pilot production commenced on 1 September. The 19,200 square metre facility will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 250,000 engines.

In the run-up to the start of regular production in March 2006, the diesel engines are undergoing rigorous testing. This includes durability runs on new dynamometers at the powertrain engineering centre in Incheon, Korea, and real-world testing under the most severe climatic conditions around the world.

The facility will produce two variants of 2.0 litre four-valve single overhead cam common rail engines jointly developed by GM Daewoo Auto and Technology, GM Powertrain and VM Motori of Italy:

The version with fixed geometry turbo (FGT) will develop 88 kW (120 ps) at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 280 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

The high-performance version with variable geometry turbo (VGT) will turn out 110 kW (150 ps) at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 310 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

The engines will comply with Euro IV emission standards. They will feature design details that offer step improvements in noise, vibration and harshness. A diesel particulate filter (DPF) will be offered for both versions to further reduce the level of particulates present in exhaust gases.

The engines will be tuned to optimise the unique characteristics and requirements of each vehicle and will combine excellent drivability with exemplary fuel efficiency. The first application of the new engine will be in the Chevrolet Captiva SUV due on sale in summer 2006 with other models in the range to follow. Andy Carroll, Managing Director of Chevrolet UK said, ‘The lack of a diesel engine range has been a big obstacle to our sales growth in the UK where diesel sales now exceed 35% of the market.’