Hyundai announces high-perfomance diesels

By Ben Whitworth

Motor Industry

05 November 2008 11:56

Hyundai will significantly boost its diesel appeal in 2009 with the arrival of two new Euro V compliant powerplants that will slot into the next-gen Tucson, Sonata, Santa Fe and i30.

The new 2.0 and 2.2-litre diesels feature a third generation common rail system with piezo-electric injectors to deliver fuel at 1800-bar. Fitted with a particulate trap as standard, the 2.0-litre unit develops 181bhp and 289lb ft, while the bigger 2.2-litre unit pumps out 197bhp and 335lb ft of torque. Hyundai claims class-leading economy, too, but has yet to publish consumption and emissions figures.

Both units swing with a hefty technological punch - electronic variable geometry turbocharger, all-aluminium construction, 16-valve dohc heads and weight-saving plastic intake manifold oil filter housings. Hyundai built over 500 prototype engines is the powerplants’ 42-month development period.

The new Tucson – expected to be called the ix35 – will be the first to use the 2.0-litre unit when it arrives at the end of 2009. Next year the Santa Fe will also be facelifted and the 2.2-litre engine will join the powertrain line-up. At the end of 2010 the new Sonata will take the engines, and Hyundai UK is also pushing hard to have the smaller engine dropped into the i30 hatch.

By Ben Whitworth