Opel will launch a new three-cylinder, 1.0-litre Ecotec engine in the Spring that will rival Ford’s award-winning 1.0 EcoBoost engine.

Indeed, General Motors is creating a family of more fuel efficient small engines that it says will be quieter and more refined than those found in some rival models. The suite of engines will consist of 11 powerplants ranging from a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder to a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four.

GM and other automakers are under pressure from regulators worldwide to improve fuel economy and lower emissions across the board without sacrificing power or performance. The three-cylinder engine is notable because rival Ford Motor Co. has been selling a highly regarded three-cylinder engine in the Fiesta and other models. 

Engineered at its technical center in Ruesselsheim Opel’s new engines will have aluminum blocks and heads. They are modular, meaning that they can all be built on the same production line. Production has begun on the first new Ecotec engine,  that debuts this spring in the Opel Adam in Europe. Later the engine will be fitted in the Corsa and other models.