Volkswagen boosts Beetle Turbo and Jetta GLI with EA888 Gen 3 engine; more power, improved fuel economy

The EA888 for the US. Click to enlarge.

The Volkswagen Beetle Turbo, Beetle Turbo Convertible, and the Jetta GLI receive a number of running changes to 2013 model year cars that go on sale this month. The most notable of these is fitment of a new version of the EA888 Gen 3 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI gasoline engine.

The new engine delivers a manufacturer-estimated improvement in fuel efficiency for the Beetle models of between 4-8% percent on the combined cycle and by up to 9% percent on the city cycle. The new engine produces 210 horsepower (157 kW), an increase of 10 hp over the previous Gen 2 TSI engine.

Peak power is generated 200 revs higher in the engine range, at 5300 rpm, and torque remains unchanged at 207 lb-ft (280 N·m). Thus equipped, the Beetle Turbo coupe takes 6.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, 0.2 seconds less than the previous version. At 6.7 seconds, the Jetta GLI is a tenth faster with the manual transmission and two tenths quicker with the DSG dual-clutch automatic than the cars equipped with the Gen 2 engine.

The EA888 Gen 3 engine is designed to be lighter and more fuel efficient than the unit it replaces. Engine weight has been reduced by 8 lbs (3.6 kg), to 290 lbs (132 kg) overall.

Among the improvements on this engine are: a thin-wall crankcase casting; exhaust headers that are integrated into the cylinder head; smaller diameter main bearings; roller bearings for the twin balancer shafts; and a crankshaft that has four counterweights instead of eight.

A new factory in Silao, Mexico—part of Volkswagen’s ongoing $5-billion investment in the North American market—is producing the EA888 localized for the US market. The EA888, a global product for Volkswagen, is also produced in the EU and China.

Source: Green Car Congress