The new 1.6-litre engine has been specifically designed to be compatible with hybrid powertrains while the 8-speed automatic transmission is for front wheel drive luxury cars.
Opening to new possibilities, Hyundai recently unveiled the new 1.6-litre GDI engine part of the Kappa motor family along with a new and advanced front wheel drive 8-speed automatic transmission. The new engine here holds great significance as the motor has been specifically designed to work in hybrid drivetrains and will power the future hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to come from the manufacturer.
The new 1.6-litre direct-injection, four-cylinder Kappa GDI engine has been specifically designed with hybrid vehicles in mind and is the first engine from Hyundai to feature the Atkinson cycle, cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a long stroke specification in order to maximise thermal efficiency. Hyundai states that the Atkinson cycle reduces pumping loss through late intake valve closing time and enhances fuel savings by increasing the expansion ratio relatively.
In terms of power, Hyundai’s new 1.6-litre Kappa GDI motor produces 105 PS and 147 Nm of torque and will make it to mass production by 2016. One will also see the automaker’s Toyota Prius competitor that has been under tests for quite some time now, to be unveiled next year. Internally codenamed AE, the Hyundai hybrid vehicle will be unveiled at the International Electric Vehicle Expo (IEVE) 2016 in Korea while the plug-in hybrid version is likely to make its debut by 2017.
Talking about the new 8-speed automatic transmission targeted for front wheel drive vehicles, the unit gets a unique new layout with an additional clutch added to the automaker’s outgoing 6-speed automatic transmission unit. Hyundai says the new transmission comes with better acceleration, enhanced fuel economy by 7.3 percent and better NVH levels at the higher gear range. The new 8-speed unit is also lighter by 3.5 kgs over the outgoing 6-speed automatic. The new autobox will be limited to the large and luxury segment vehicles and will be paired to the Lambda V6 petrol, 2.0-litre turbocharged Theta, GDI and turbo-diesel engines in the automaker’s lineup.
