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GM to Sell Small Turbocharged Four-Cylinders in North America

Small, turbocharged engines are the way of the future according to General

Overseas, Opel offers the Astra with a small-displacement turbo. This could soon be the case here. (Photo: Opel)

Motors. This is the case at least as far as some of its smaller cars are concerned, and with regards to our immediate future. Automobile News is reporting that starting some time next year, GM is going to be introducing a small 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that will come equipped with a turbocharger for some of its Delta-platform vehicles. The most likely candidate will be the Saturn Astra, due to its Belgian origins, though the engine could also end up on the Cobalt. Also, applications in midsize vehicles such as the Malibu, Aura or G6 are possible.

When the engine arrives, and if its displacement is indeed 1.4 L, it will officially undercut GM's smallest offering here in North America, the 1.6-liter four-cylinder in the Chevrolet Aveo. But even though its size is small, there's no question that the pint-sized engine could be mighty powerful. Currently, General Motors

Corsa's 1.6-liter turbo-four makes a giant 192 hp. (Photo: Opel)

sells the Opel Astra in Europe with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that produces 180 horsepower, and the performance version of the Corsa with an even hotter version of that engine that makes 192 hp. Even if the 1.4L produced 150 horsepower, it would still be above what the current Astra makes, and would return better fuel economy.

Many manufacturers including General Motors in Europe are in the process of downsizing engine displacement and compensating for power losses with forced aspiration; the results according to European media are pleasing both from the aspects of performance and operating costs. If it works overseas, why shouldn't it work here?

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