It’s no secret that we’re a fan of the Volkswagen TSI engines, thanks to the power that these turbo-petrol engines pack in. However if there was one thing that these engines weren’t particularly attuned towards, it was delivering good fuel efficiency. However, Volkswagen is making sure that we raise none of those qualms with their new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol TSI engine dubbed the evo2. The earlier iteration of this 1.5-litre evo engine already powers the likes of the Volkswagen Virtus and the Taigun (along with their respective cousins from Skoda, the Slavia and the Kushaq) and the evo2 features certain enhancements aimed at improving the fuel efficiency.
The earlier 1.5-litre TSI evo engine was a four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit with cylinder deactivation tech. With the evo2 however, the updated engine, designated EA 211, the engineers have moved the catalytic converter and petrol particulate filter closer to the engine and both of these components are now packaged in a single emission control module in a bid to reduce the engine’s emissions. The cylinder deactivation itself has been enhanced, with the action of the Active Cylinder Management system kicking in being smoother, and the system has also been optimised to operate for a longer range of time. A crucial change is the variable geometry turbocharger, working alongside the high-pressure injection system, and the cylinder walls are now plasma-coated to reduce friction, with the pistons themselves featuring cooling ducts that are cast-in.
Another notable fact is that unlike the current engines, the TSI evo2 engines can work with fuels containing ingredients manufactured from renewable energy sources and in addition to that, these can also work with hybrid systems, a good sign of future-proofing. Volkswagen claims that with this engine, a system providing nearly 270bhp of combined output is possible for any future plug-in hybrid models.
The TSI evo2 engine has been unveiled globally and so far it only powers the T-Roc and the T-Roc cabriolet in European markets. It is likely that the evo2 engine will power the India 2.0 cars such as the Taigun and the Virtus when they receive an update or a facelift, and it is likely that this engine will also help spawn new products as well, in addition to making the existing offerings cleaner and greener without compromising on the power that the TSI engines are well known for. The evo2’s improved efficiency could also mean the introduction of newer products providing an entry-point into the Volkswagen lineup, be it smaller cross SUVs, or maybe even hatchbacks. A new Polo perhaps? We certainly hope so!