Opel is fundamentally renewing its engine range. Three completely new petrol and diesel families are replacing the current core portfolio. With the introduction of the new engine range, Opel aims to become the industry leader in terms of fuel consumption, emissions and also with specific torque and noise reduction.

The first new engine to be introduced is a turbo-charged 1598 cc, four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct injection and Start/Stop. The new SIDI (spark ignition direct injection) ECOTEC engine will be available in various power outputs and across several car lines. Production of this 1.6L engine will begin in late 2012 at the Szentgotthardt plant in Hungary.

Smooth acceleration, strong pulling power, low noise levels and low fuel consumption are the main focus of these engine updates. The emphasis was on torque, where engineers achieved up to 187.5 Nm per litre of displacement, a benchmark for petrol engines produced in high volume. Maximum torque is up to 300 Nm and is already available at 1,700 rpm. Peak power of up to 200 hp is reached at 4,700 rpm. Compared to the predecessor 1.6 litre turbo-charged gasoline engine, fuel consumption and CO2 have
been cut by 13 percent.

?In just twelve months we are launching three completely new engine generations. "This shows how fast we are introducing new products", says Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke. "Our new 1.6 litre direct injection engine is a real giant in terms of torque. Power builds up very smoothly and quietly," the director of gasoline engines, Thomas Johnen, explains.

The first Opel engine with spark ignition direct injection technology, the 114kW/155 hp '2.2 ECOTEC direct' made its debut in Opel's Signum and Vectra in 2003 and was succeeded by the Zafira. In 2007, the GT offered the first turbo-charged gasoline engine with direct injection from Opel, a 2.0 litre unit with 194kW/264 hp. One year later this engine was introduced in the Insignia and was available in the Opel flagship in two variants: 162 kW/220 hp and 184kW/250 hp. The new Astra OPC will be powered by the latest version of this engine offering an output of 206kW/280 hp.