General Motors today announced a 3.6-liter V-6 gasoline engine with direct injection and variable valve timing (VVT) for use in the 2008 model year. The application of direct injection technology to the 3.6-liter VVT engine boosts horsepower by 15 percent — from 240 to 267 hp. “The 3.6-liter VVT with direct injection will be our highest specific output non-turbocharged V-6 engine, as well as one of the most fuel-efficient offerings in our high-feature family,â€? said Tim Cyrus, chief engineer for high feature V-6 and Northstar V-8 engines. Additionally, it was forecast that by the end of 2008, GM will produce as many as 200,000 vehicles globally with direct injection technology, and by 2010, GM projects one out of every six GM vehicles in North America will be equipped with a direct injection engine. GM has said it plans to sell a V6 version of the Chevrolet Camaro Concept to boost sales over 100,000 units. Could this engine be used for the V6 Camaro?
GM also announced its first V-6 application of fuel-saving Active Fuel Management on the 3.9L V-6 offered in the 2007 Chevy Impala, and E85 ethanol fuel capability on the 3.9L V-6 offered in ’07 Chevy Uplander fleet models.
“The application of Active Fuel Management (AFM) and E85 ethanol offers customers more choices when it comes to selecting efficient, fuel-conscious vehicles,� said Dr. Gary Horvat, assistant chief engineer, GM Powertrain HVV6 engines. “E85 fuel reduces the need for petroleum and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while AFM offers improved fuel economy over comparable, non-AFM engines.�
Preliminary testing of the 2007 Chevy Impala equipped with the 3.9L V-6 with AFM indicates an estimated 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway – improvements of approximately 5.5 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively.
Active Fuel Management enables the engine to automatically operate on half of the engine’s cylinders under light load conditions, improving efficiency by reducing fuel consumption when the cylinders are deactivated.
