New Volkswagen Engine Deactivates All Four Cylinders To Save Fuel

Despite modern engines already shutting-down their injectors when coasting, meaning no fuel is used, Volkswagen has gone a step further to reduce frictional losses
New Volkswagen Engine Deactivates All Four Cylinders To Save Fuel

Volkswagen really is doing everything it can to reduce its environmental impact in the wake of its persistent diesel-related troubles. Its latest 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine actually shuts down all of its cylinders when you lift off the throttle.

There are two versions of the new 1.5 Evo engine, with 148bhp and 128bhp. The more powerful one uses technology similar to that which we’ve already seen in various VAG products, where half of the engine’s cylinders – two, in this case – shut down, but it seems that in this case it’s only when the driver lifts off completely, not under light throttle loads as well.

New Volkswagen Engine Deactivates All Four Cylinders To Save Fuel

But the 128bhp model, which will arrive later this year, actually stops all four cylinders completely, eliminating engine braking completely and allowing drives to coast long distances without using a drop of fuel. Touching the brakes will reactivate the engine, and although we’re waiting for confirmation on this, it’s likely that dipping the clutch will do the same. The tech stops the engine in a decoupled state, so the car can simply glide along, unpowered.

VW says that the engine will go to the Golf first, but could be transferred to other models in due course. The 128bhp motor will slot into SE- and SE Navigation-spec cars, while the 148bhp upgrade will grace the GT and R-Line trim grades.

Performance figures for the lower-powered Evo unit haven’t been released yet, but 148bhp Golfs will be able to combine 55.4mpg and 116g/km with 134mph and 0-62mph potential in 8.3 seconds. Peak torque of 184lb ft will be yours from just 1500rpm, VW says, making it flexible as well as clever.

Comments

MrLeo

Sounds sketchy IMO
Would be weird to drive wouldn’t it?

05/18/2017 - 09:04 |
8 | 4
The Real Fat Princess

Deactivationgate…

05/18/2017 - 09:05 |
288 | 2
MrLeo

It looks like one of those april fools at the wrong date

05/18/2017 - 09:06 |
66 | 4
slevo beavo

In reply to by MrLeo

Nope, been around for a while now with other manufacturers

05/18/2017 - 09:12 |
10 | 4
slevo beavo

Mercedes been doing this for a while.

In eco mode the car drops down to idle and coasts with the help of a small battery to help keep the speed from dropping too quickly. Can brake lightly without the engine coming back on .

It works I averaged 75mpg the other week.

05/18/2017 - 09:12 |
2 | 4

How does it feel driving?

05/18/2017 - 10:00 |
0 | 0

That’s not turning the engine off though, that’s idle…

05/18/2017 - 10:12 |
4 | 0

Only with automatic transmissions or with manual too? There is the same system on the VW Caravelle with DSG gearbox I drive. But you have to go full eco-drive to see a difference…

05/18/2017 - 12:55 |
0 | 0

it’s not the same tech, dropping back to idle means fuel is injected but this is not the case with VW’s tech,it close all valves and doesn’t inject any fuel so the car will coast with no engine braking with not help of an extra small electric motor and batteries which means the engine will still be rotating but doesn’t burn any fuel without braking the car :)

05/18/2017 - 22:17 |
0 | 0
JenstheGTIfreak (pizza)

Does that mean the engine just almost completely shuts itself off? Like these very not useful start-stop systems?

05/18/2017 - 09:36 |
28 | 2

That’s what I was thinking, only it’s when you don’t accelerate as well I guess.
It’s just going to mean that battery is going to massive

05/18/2017 - 11:16 |
4 | 2

Why are they not useful? My fuel economy rarely goes below 15km/lt thanks to that and I live in one of the most complicated cities.

05/18/2017 - 13:30 |
4 | 0

‘We can’t build economic engines, so let’s just shut them off!’

05/18/2017 - 20:50 |
16 | 4

No nothing like the start stop system, to put it simply the engine closes all valves and stop injecting fuel so the air compressed inside the cylinders will help push back the pistons when they’re coming down so the engine will have minimum braking effect, it will feel like putting the car in neutral an coasting but the engine will not inject any fuel because it’s still driven by the wheel and will turn back on without injecting more fuel than normal because it’s already rotating not like start stop systems that use extra fuel the turn engine back on which makes them useless in some situations.

05/18/2017 - 22:09 |
2 | 0
Richard the edition 100

Maybe it will be more fuel efficient than a Prius (54 mpg)

05/18/2017 - 09:44 |
0 | 0

My 15 year old golf gets 55 average, so I hope so

05/18/2017 - 11:20 |
0 | 0
imtrademarked

am i the only one who reads VAG as vag like the abbreviation of vagina?

05/18/2017 - 09:48 |
58 | 6

No i read it like that too 😂😂😂

05/18/2017 - 11:31 |
8 | 0

Same. VW is always been what I call it. VAG just sounds like the lower frontal region of the female body.

05/18/2017 - 12:31 |
8 | 2

That’s why I’m a VAGaholic

05/18/2017 - 21:23 |
4 | 8

I decipher VAGCOM as listening to ur lady talk bout work

05/20/2017 - 07:20 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Great… Now we need to wait everytime until the engine is active again…. Before we can get anywhere

05/18/2017 - 09:54 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

Next model should deactivate the whole engine

05/18/2017 - 10:04 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

So you read the article?

05/21/2017 - 23:53 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I don’t know what’s new here.
The purpose of cylinder deactivation is when your foot is on the throttle; instead of injecting fuel in 8 cylinders, the engine uses 4 to save fuel as long as no much power is needed. However, in any modern fuel injected engine, injectors do not inject fuel in any of the cylinders at all when you lift your foot of the throttle.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a5977/coasting-in-neutral-fuel-economy/

05/18/2017 - 10:04 |
2 | 4
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

As it said in the article it is to reduce friction. If you still have the engine rotating there is a small amount of friction and possible engine braking that can slow the car down. By shutting down the cylinders completely it removes any engine friction present meaning that there is a slight gain in coasting effeciency as opposed to just shutting off injectors

05/18/2017 - 10:08 |
6 | 0

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