GENERAL MOTORS TALKS TOUGH ON A SMALL FUTURE

Small turbocharged engines are back with a very loud bang. This revolution which began with Volkswagen and Audi at the turn of last decade, is running hard, spreading like melted cheese on a pizza. General Motors will not be left behind either after announcing a comprehensive turbo strategy for the next decade or so.

Called Ecotec, the small turbo engines will displace different sizes, starting from a 1.0-litre up to a 1.5-litre turbo. No expected power figures were divulged, but a current 1.4-litre turbo Opel Astra gets 103kW, while a 1.6-litre turbo is given 132kW. We assume a 1.5 would fall in between the two, say about 118kW or so.

Brands expected to benefit from this downturn in size include both Chevrolet and Opel, with their sub-brands Sonic, Aveo, Corsa, Meriva and so on, using the new engines.