Hyundai develops high-performance diesel R-Engine
Not too long ago, Hyundai didn't compete directly with anything coming out of Germany (or perhaps that's the other way around). Now Hyundai is determined not to let up on its recently-made foes. Today it unveiled the R-Engine, a new diesel in two capacities that the company says "can comfortably beat the power outputs of all German and French competitors." So there.The Euro-V compliant, common-rail lumps come in 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter flavors, each with piezo-electric fuel injectors and electronic variable geometry turbos. Refinement comes via an internal, silent steel timing chain and a lower balance shaft housed in a stiffened ladder-frame housing. Weight has also been reduced thanks to a head cover, intake manifold and oil filter housing all made from plastic.
The 2.0-liter R-Engine puts out 181 hp and 289 lb-ft. That compares to 170 hp and 258 lb-ft for Audi's 2.0-liter TDI. The 2.2 liter Hyundai diesel pushes 197 hp and 321 lb-ft. , which compares with 215 hp and 398 lb.-ft. for Mecedes' 3.2-liter BLUETEC CDI.
Hyundai says the first vehicles to get the new diesel R engine will be SUVs and large sedans sold in Europe. Unfortunately, there appear to be no plans to bring it to the U.S. where our diesel emissions standards are higher than the Old Country's, at least for now.
[Source: Hyundai]
PRESS RELEASE
NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE, LOW EMISSION DIESEL REVEALED BY HYUNDAI
- World-beating new 2.0 and 2.2-litre diesels
- Best fuel economy in 2.0-litre class
- Euro-5 compliant with 184 and 200PS
"R proves Hyundai's diesel development capabilities really are world-class. With diesels becoming cleaner and more fuel efficient all the time, there's a growing demand for diesel powerplants worldwide and Hyundai is well positioned to supply the market with the very best diesel technology," said Dr Hyun-Soon Lee, president of the Corporate Research and Development Division.
The R-Engine benefits from the third generation common rail system with piezo-electric injectors to deliver fuel at 1800-bar for an unprecedented degree of accuracy and control. It also features an electronic variable geometry turbocharger and an advanced engine control unit (air system-based charge control).
The all-aluminium R-Engine is fitted with a 16-valve dual overhead camshaft which is driven by an internal steel silent timing chain. For reduced vibration and lower noise, the R gets a lower balance shaft which has been encased in a stiffened ladder frame housing for increased rigidity. Weight saving features include serpentine belt with isolation pulley, a plastic head cover, plastic intake manifold and plastic oil filter housing.
To achieve Euro-5 emission compliancy, the R is fitted with a close-coupled diesel particulate filter plus highly efficient exhaust gas recirculation with by-pass valve.
Over 500 prototype engines were built during the 42 month-long development period which encompassed a wide variety performance and emissions tests, endurance as well as NVH, cooling and lubrication studies. Finally, the engine was installed in vehicles and subjected to exhaustive testing under all imaginable environmental conditions.
The R-Engine will enter production next year and will see its first application in new SUV vehicles and large saloons.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Steve 2:08PM (11/04/2008)
too bad nobody cares
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Sandeep 2:32PM (11/04/2008)
Why wouldn't we care about a brand new, high-tech engine that is competitive with the industry's best manufacturers and could be conducive to a high-mileage car with decent performance?
I guess that wouldn't be very interesting at all...
Bungle 4:04PM (11/04/2008)
Steve's just being a chode. He obviously cared at least enough to post a comment on the article.
1337 9:11PM (11/04/2008)
Steve's just being a leroy about it...
Mmm Vapor 8:57PM (11/05/2008)
I believe its spelled Choad
BigMcLargeHuge 2:11PM (11/04/2008)
I wonder how Hyundai's R&D dollars compare to other companies. I would guess they'd be near the top of the list.
They seem to be hard at work with quite a few projects.
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Brn 3:57PM (11/04/2008)
They've some serious funding. I'm also wiling to bet that they bring in people from all over the world to work on these projects.
RudolfDiesel 2:19PM (11/04/2008)
Merc's CDI/Bluetec is 3.0 Liters, guh
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P.V. 2:29PM (11/04/2008)
It's a good thing that Hyundai can make diesel engines that are competitive in power with larger diesel engines: equal power + less weight (due to size) = win in my books.
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zamafir 4:20PM (11/04/2008)
power + less weight (due to size) – California/North America compliant = Non competitive in my book. There’s a reason we’re seeing the power figures we see from VW/Audi’s power plants, it’s the EPA. Take away those regulations and you’ll see more power from VAG’s mills. So yes, competitive on a Non North American scale, sure, but we’ll see where those figures slide if Hyundai joins the rest of the big boys in offering North American focused engines.
John 2:34PM (11/04/2008)
Plastic intake manifold, eh? I just hope they get it right, unlike GM's attempt at it in the late 90s.
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jte 2:46PM (11/04/2008)
Why pay for development of 2 engines of such similar displacement and power?
Why not just make 1 or make a 1.x and a 2.x?
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Harry Ariola 2:53PM (11/04/2008)
It's not really a matter of having developed two different engines, it's a case of one engine with two displacement options. In all likelihood, the power gains from expanding to 2.3 / 2.4 weren't greater than the loss in fuel efficiency, in which case 2.2 was probably the best balance of power and mileage. There is, however, enough of a power difference to justify the two displacements. I would guess that the 2.0 would find a home in the Tucson, while the 2.2 will be the engine of choice for the Santa Fe.
Pyronick 3:24PM (11/04/2008)
I think you forgot the Audi CBEA TDI engine with 147 kW/295 lb-ft and the BMW N47D20A with 152 kW/295 lb-ft.
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Mattias 3:25PM (11/04/2008)
The comparable Bluetec is 2.2l I4 and has 204hp
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/14/mercedes-benz-launches-c250-cdi-blueefficiency-prime-edition/
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Gardiner Westbound 3:36PM (11/04/2008)
Hyundai will eventually beat their competitors' brains out.
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Bungle 4:18PM (11/04/2008)
What's suspiciously missing from this article is any mention of fuel efficiency. Lower weight and higher specific output are really only relevant if fuel efficiency is also improved.
Take, for example, the base Corvette, which has a huge 6.2L of displacement, but is still capable of better real-world highway fuel economy than my 1.8L Versa. My Versa actually has slightly higher specific output than a Corvette, but the Corvette is more fuel efficient on the highway. I'm sure there are better examples of that, too.
I'll venture to say that any manufacturer can increase specific output if fuel efficiency, cost, and performance across the RPM range (not just peak power/torque) are not important factors. There's no mention in the article of any of the latter design considerations. This is not to say that Hyundai isn't on to something, but I'd just like to see some more relevant specifications.
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Carlos 4:39PM (11/04/2008)
I find it a bit silly to think that they could have developed one engine for America and then sold it both here and a broad.
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Perry 5:43PM (11/04/2008)
The versa is rated at 5 mpg higher on the highway than the corvette.
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Perry 7:32PM (11/04/2008)
A corvettes gas mileage is also very difficult to explain.
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