Official - Chevrolet Beat diesel engine production begins in June 2011
Producing 140 Nm @ 1,750 rpm, the engine will be fitted with a Dual Overhead Camshaft and a turbocharger. There is no mention of power output, but we were told by an inside source that it will make 57bhp.
The new diesel engine could be marketed as XSDE (Xtra Smart Diesel Engine) and the same engine could be used on the Spark mini car.
Read the press release after the break to gain more knowledge on this important engine that promises to boost sales volume of the Beat.
Chevrolet Beat Diesel caught testing
Press Release
General Motors designs new turbo-diesel engine to be used first in Indian market
* 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine to have best-in-class fuel efficiency and performance for its size
* General Motors Torino Engineering Center development team was supported by GM India Engineering
* Production begins in Talegaon, India in June 2011
* First application to be the Chevrolet Beat for India market
Torino, Italy -- A multinational team led by GM’s Torino Engineering Center and supported by engineers from GM India today announced that production of a 1.0-liter three-cylinder diesel engine will start in June 2011. The diesel expertise of the GM’s Torino engineers has resulted in an engine that is expected to enhance GM’s competitiveness in the Indian market.
“The exclusive design leveraged the capabilities of dozens of Torino-based diesel engineers to deliver what is expected to be a leader for its size in performance and fuel efficiency for the Indian market,” said Stefano Caprio, the 1.0-liter engine global program manager and chief engineer. “Contributing to the great fuel economy is an innovative, lightweight three-cylinder design.”
The new compact engine will also be the peak torque leader for its displacement in the Indian market (140 Nm @ 1,750 rpm) and low-end peak torque leader for its displacement worldwide at 100 Nm @ 1,250 rpm.
GM Torino and GM India Engineering collaborated closely to design in specific regional features and content requirements. Features of the engine include an iron block, aluminum DOHC cylinder head, lifetime maintenance-free timing chain, centrifugal blowby separator filter for lower oil consumption, low-noise timing gears, a balancer shaft for state-of-the-art NVH and a precisely sized waste-gated turbocharger.
The 1.0-liter turbo-diesel engine will be manufactured at GM India’s Talegaon plant in Maharashtra and will be launched on the Chevrolet Beat in the second half of 2011.
"GM India President & Managing Director Karl Slym said, “This new state-of-the-art turbo-diesel engine will enhance the competitiveness of our Chevrolet line-up in the Indian market. The addition of diesel options to our portfolio will continue to improve our sales volume and market share,” Slym added.