{"id":68082,"date":"2013-11-22T11:31:02","date_gmt":"2013-11-22T16:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=68082"},"modified":"2013-11-22T11:31:02","modified_gmt":"2013-11-22T16:31:02","slug":"3-cylinders-minis-just-the-latest-with-downsized-engine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2013\/11\/3-cylinders-minis-just-the-latest-with-downsized-engine\/","title":{"rendered":"3-Cylinders? Mini\u2019s Just the Latest with Downsized Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The new Mini Hardtop may be a little larger but it will be a getting a smaller 3-cylinder engine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mini rolled into the L.A. Auto Show this week with an all-new version of its popular Hardtop model, but equally big news was the debut of two all-new engines.<\/p>\n

And while the new Mini is getting a little more maxi \u2013 its overall length stretched by 4.5 inches \u2013 the third-generation Hardtop will now be offered with an engine smaller than ever, a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder package.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Power Up!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s an old adage in the auto industry that, \u201cthere\u2019s no replacement for displacement,\u201d but while the big V-8 may remain the icon of American muscle, the reality is that motorists have been rapidly downsizing their engine choices in recent years.\u00a0 Sixes have replaced eights; and now, it seems, a growing number of three-cylinder powertrains are coming to market to replace inline-fours.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The new BMW 3-cylinder engine - the foundation of the Mini powertrain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That may come as a shock to those who recall the abysmal three-cylinder engines of the \u201880s and \u201890s, stone ponies that offered just one advantage: good mileage.\u00a0 They tended to be rough-riding and painfully slow, and reliability was an issue with more than a few of the offerings from brands such as GM\u2019s old Geo division.<\/p>\n

(For a first look at the new Mini Hardtop, <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honda brought a 3-cylinder package into the market as late as 1999, under the hood of the Insight, a quirky, teardrop-shaped hybrid. The 67-horsepower engine at least had the advantage of being paired with a small electric motor that made it possible to enter a freeway without rocket assist. But it did little to enhance the reputation of three-cylinder powertrains.<\/p>\n

Ford gave the image a boost, however, with the recently launched 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Fiesta.\u00a0 While it might be the maker\u2019s smallest powertrain, it delivers some surprising performance thanks to the use of Ford\u2019s turbocharged EcoBoost technology. And at 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, it\u2019s actually the upgrade from the base 1.6-liter inline-four offered in the U.S. Fiesta line.<\/p>\n

General Motors is getting ready to return to the three-cylinder segment \u2013 though it clearly hopes memories of the old Geo Metro model have faded away.\u00a0 The Detroit maker has promised to spend about $225 million on new three- and four-cylinder powertrains for the American market.<\/p>\n

(“Anchorman” Ron Burgundy ads drive 61% surge in Dodge Durango sales. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for the story.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In fact, three cylinder engines are fairly common abroad, but manufacturers were worried, until recently, that they simply wouldn\u2019t be accepted in America. But the latest versions are starting to allay such concerns as they manage to not only deliver impressive fuel economy numbers but eke out impressive amounts of horsepower and torque.<\/p>\n

That the Ford three-cylinder package produces 123 hp per liter.\u00a0 In terms of what\u2019s known as specific output, that\u2019s in line with some of the world\u2019s best sports car engines. That\u2019s all the more impressive when you consider the basic engine block can been squeezed into a carryon bag small enough to fit into a commercial aircraft\u2019s overhead luggage compartment.<\/p>\n

To get there, manufacturers are using some highly advanced technologies including variable valve timing, high-pressure direct injection and turbocharging. Sophisticated computer modeling, meanwhile, has allowed engineers to design cylinders and pistons that do a better job of utilizing every BTU of energy in each squirt of fuel.<\/p>\n

The latest multi-speed transmissions are another factor helping these new 3-cylinder engines meet customer expectations.\u00a0 With the latest eight- and nine-speed gearboxes, they\u2019re more likely to always remain in the sweet spot of their torque curves which means less bogging down when it\u2019s time to make a pass or enter a freeway.<\/p>\n

(Hydrogen power makes a comeback at the LA Auto Show. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for a look at the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle debuting next spring.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Other makers are looking to get into the 3-cylinder game.\u00a0\u00a0 Honda recently demonstrated to TheDetroitBureau.com a new turbo inline-three that delivers a stunning level of performance for such a small package. It\u2019s not clear, however, if that little engine will make it to the U.S. market.<\/p>\n

But BMW will be bringing in its own 1.5-liter three-cylinder option, the engine part of the Bavarian maker\u2019s new EfficientDynamics family.\u00a0 It demonstrated a prototype at its New Jersey U.S. headquarters earlier this year and could readily have fooled motorists into believing the engine was a much larger six thanks to the use of the BMW TwinPower turbo technology.<\/p>\n

Those who follow the auto business closely might notice a connection here. And, indeed, the BMW engine is essentially the same, 3-cylinder powertrain that will be going into the new Mini Hardtop. In fact, the all-new platform for the British model will be shared with the German maker\u2019s new 1-Series line, so it\u2019s no wonder they\u2019ll also be sharing engines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mini rolled into the L.A. Auto Show this week with an all-new version of its popular Hardtop model, but equally big news was the debut of its all-new 3-cylinder engine. As TheDetroitBureau.com reports, manufacturers as diverse as BMW, Ford, GM and Honda are turning to once-maligned 3-cylinder powertrain – and for more than just mileage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[151],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68082"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68082"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=68082"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=68082"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=68082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}