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Geneva Motor Show: Vauxhall to debut new 1.0-litre three-cylinder in ADAM

By / 10 years ago / Latest News / No Comments

Showcased at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the new, all-aluminium 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo petrol engine has been developed at Vauxhall/Opel’s International Technical Development Centre and is the first in a completely new family of small petrol engines.

Engineered to offer greater torque than the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engines along with improved economy, the new unit rivals Ford's EcoBoost unit and will come in two power outputs of 89bhp and 113bhp. Both deliver strong, low-end torque of 122lb.ft from 1,800rpm. 

Featuring Start/Stop functionality as standard, the 89bhp version gives the ADAM an official combined cycle figure of 62mpg, with CO2 emissions of 99g/km, according to preliminary data.

Like the two new-generation 1.6-litre mid-size units Vauxhall has launched recently, the 1.6 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo petrol and the 1.6 CDTi “Whisper Diesel”, the new 1.0 ECOTEC is also said to offer benchmark refinement with outstandingly low noise, vibration and harshness.

‘We not only set out to minimise fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, we also wanted to demonstrate that three cylinders can be just as refined as four or more,’ said Dr Matthias Alt, Vauxhall/Opel’s chief engineer, small gasoline engines. ‘We tackled at source the balance, noise and vibration issues typical of conventional three-cylinder engines, and we’re confident ADAM customers will be enthusiastic about the results.’

The new engine is married up to a new-generation six-speed manual transmission, which is about 30% lighter than units it replaces and also incorporates many of the smooth gear change refinements recently introduced by Vauxhall. The new gearbox will be rolled out into in other Vauxhall models.

The new 1.0-litre engine will go on sale in the ADAM in the spring.

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.