Honda’s Urban SUV for India to come with turbopetrol iVtec?

Finally, Honda jumps on to the turbo petrol bandwagon!

 

Honda has jumped on to the turbo petrol bandwagon with not one, not two but three new turbo petrol engines. Der aaye, durust aaye? All these engines will feature Honda’s highly acclaimed VTEC variable valve technology, along with direct injection and turbo charging.

Honda has unveiled the new turbo petrol engine line in three capacities: 1 liter, 1.5 liter and 2.0 liter. All three engines will be built with Honda’s EarthDreams philosophy of generating high power outputs while minimizing fuel consumption and tail pipe emissions.

Power and torque figures are yet to be made available for these motors. However, Honda does indicate that the 2 liter turbo petrol engine could be tuned to produce a maximum output of 280 Bhp. The new line of turbo petrol engines are eventually expected to replace the 1.2 liter (Brio and Amaze), 1.5 liter (City) and 2.4 liter (Accord & CR-V) i-VTEC naturally aspirated petrol motors.

Considering the fact that Honda cars sold in India use each of the naturally aspirated petrol motors listed above, the three new turbo petrol engines are likely to be made available in India as well. CarToq sources indicate that the 1.5 liter turbo petrol VTEC engine could first be offered on the Honda CR-U (production version of the Urban SUV concept).  

Here’s a brief overview on why car makers around the world are hopping to the  turbocharged petrol engine bandwagon,

1. Tightening Emission Norms

A saying purported to be that from the Mayans: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our grandchildren”. While the Mayans may not be around to put this statement into practice, the world has warmed up to the idea of the Earth struggling with carbon emissions. A consequence of this realization is the tightening of emission norms. To meet such norms, car makers have begun routing the exhaust gases to turbo chargers, a highly effective way of cutting down on tail pipe emissions.

2. Demand for better fuel economy

Along with reduction of carbon emissions, turbo chargers also boost fuel efficiency of cars. Since the turbocharger allows the petrol engine to produce high torque at low rpms, it makes the car more driveable by reducing gear shifts. This in turn boosts fuel efficiency. Also, turbo charging gives the engine better thermal efficiency as the turbo puts the waste gases to good use. Finally, turbo charging allows car makers to squeeze higher power outputs from smaller engines, thus replacing larger and less fuel efficient, naturally aspirated motors.

In most cases, turbo charging of small petrol engines is combined with two other performance maximizing engine technologies: variable valve timing and direct injection. Variable valve timing serves to alter the engine’s performance according to the driver’s throttle inputs, thereby rewarding a light foot on the throttle with good fuel efficiency and providing on-demand power when the throttle foot gets heavier. Direct injection atomizes fuel better and makes the fuel burn more completely in the combustion chamber. The resultant is lower wastage of fuel and better power throughout the rev range.