Volkswagen to replace naturally aspirated engines with turbocharged motors
Volkswagen has stated that time is up for conventional naturally aspirated engines and they will soon make way for more powerful yet efficient turbocharged powertrains. A senior VW offical recently told a US news website that the automaker plans to phase out its last naturally aspirated engines in the next 3-4 years in favour of more efficient forced induction units.
VW's head of quality Mark Trahan was quoted by the US news service that the automaker has already started phasing out the engines and will soon replace its three remaining non-turbocharged engines in the American and European market - a 2.5-liter inline-five and two V6 variants.
The Indian market currently has two naturally aspirated engines from Volkswagen, the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in the Polo and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol in the Vento. After the introduction of the Polo GT TSI, both engines could very soon be phased out from India. This is keeping in mind that the TSI is more efficient, compact and at the same time as powerful as the 1.6 NA engine.
Globally, car brands are giving up naturally aspirated mills and replacing them with more efficient turbocharged counterparts that come with lower displacements -- a naturally aspirated V6 being replaced by a turbocharged four cylinder, and so on.
Volkswagen is not the first automaker that is turning its back on the conventional engines. Ford, Renault, BMW, Mercedes-Benz are all moving towards a fully turbocharged future. Last month, speaking to the media on the possibility of naturally aspirated engines going extinct, Ford's vice-president of powertrain engineering Joe Bakaj said, "At some point in the future that will be an option."