General Motors will develop an all-new global family of small-displacement “Ecotec” gasoline engines over the next several years in China in conjunction with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC).
The new engines will come in a range of three- and four-cylinder configurations with displacements from 1.0-liter to 1.5 liters. The small engines will have what GM calls lightweight design and advanced technologies such as direct injection, turbocharging and alternative fuel compatibility.
Production is expected to begin mid-decade in China and elsewhere. The engines will be introduced in GM global vehicle programs across multiple vehicle architectures in various regions, through the end of the decade. Manufacturing locations and production timing will be announced later.
This global engine family consolidation is part of GM’s larger product development strategy to reduce engineering and manufacturing complexity and cost while improving competitiveness, efficiency and quality. (See also GM and SAIC to Develop New Electric Vehicle in China with U.S. Taxpayer Supported GM’s EV Knowledge and Technology)
