Following the success of its TDI and FSI engines, Volkswagen is launching the latest in a line of pioneering inventions with the introduction of TSI petrol technology.FSI uses the direct injection of petrol into the combustion chamber to improve efficiency and hence reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Taking this further, TSI uses -- for the first time ever -- an FSI engine which is then dual-charged through a combination of an engine driven supercharger and an exhaust gas turbocharger arranged in series.The driving characteristics of the new TSI engine are improved over those of the current FSI unit. The belt-driven supercharger operates at the lower engine speeds, with the turbocharger coming in as engine speed increases. The result of this is excellent driveability and performance throughout the range with no turbo lag and high maximum torque.Key to the TSI's success is that direct injection allows an abnormally high compression ratio of 10:1 to be used in conjunction with high maximum boost pressure of up to 2.5 bar absolute. This enables the relatively small engine to use very high gearing to provide exceptional fuel efficiency for a petrol engine, particularly at motorway cruising speeds. As an additional bonus, the TSI engine provides driver enjoyment, producing high power and torque across a rev range from 1,000 to 6,500 rpm.The new TSI engine has a capacity of 1.4-litres (1,390 cc) and produces either 140 or 170 PS. The 170 PS version has the same peak power as a conventional 2.3-litre petrol unit but with 20 per cent lower fuel onsumption, returning 38.2 mpg on the combined cycle. It also produces impressive torque of 177 lbs ft (240 Nm) from 1,750 through to 4,500 rpm. All TSI engines drive through a manual six-speed gearbox. A DSG automatic option is also available with the 170 PS engine. This will be offered later in the year with the 140 PS unit.TSI technology has already received international acclaim, having been named Best New Engine of 2006 in the International Engine of the Year Awards. It also won the 1-litre to 1.4-litre category.For more infomation on TSI technology along with more European motor news that you want to read at EuropeanMotorNews.com Thank you for reading this post.
