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Redefining Small Engine Performance

Posted 02.19.2010

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The new generation Polo is bigger and 18% heavier and comes with a 3-cylinder engine that is 15% smaller compared to its 1.4L predecessor. But with boost from Honeywell’s latest Euro5 VNT™ (Variable Nozzle Turbine) turbo, the car is delivering comparable power and torque ratings but with industry-leading fuel economy.

Critically, the latest Polo beats the 2015 target of 120g/km CO₂ emissions by a big margin and five years ahead of time, delivering an industry-leading 87g/km as a result of complementary technologies, such as turbocharging, direct injection, regenerative braking and automatic stop-start.

“With the arrival of the new Polo, there is compelling evidence that engine downsizing is taking hold and that enhanced turbocharging solutions, such as Honeywell’s new generation of small VNT™s, will increasingly be featured in smaller vehicle segments,” says David Paja, Vice President, Global Marketing for Honeywell Turbo Technologies.

The new Polo BlueMotion shows an outstanding 15% improvement in fuel efficiency and a 16% reduction in CO₂ levels when compared to the prior generation Polo BlueMotion with a 1.4L diesel, while maintaining a similar level of performance despite increased vehicle size and weight.

In the case of the Polo 1.2L, Honeywell applied its world-renowned variable geometry turbine architecture to create a new small engine Euro5 VNT™ turbo.

When VW engineers sat down with Honeywell’s turbo experts, they started with a clear objective of creating the auto manufacturer’s first genuine common rail diesel engine capable of setting new standards for fuel efficiency, CO₂ output and exhaust gas recirculation.

The requirement was for a 1.2L engine that would still deliver a good driving experience despite bigger size, heavier weight and lower CO₂ emission target, so Honeywell engineers suggested a VNT™ design capable of extremely efficient turbine and compressor stage performance at very low gas flow and pressure ratios.

“The key challenge through the program was to develop a turbo that would help compensate for lower engine speed and torque and higher gear ratios through good transient behavior,” says Honeywell Application Engineering Manager Frederic Gerard.

This was achieved by exploiting latest thinking in aerodynamics, in bearing technology and by introducing a new contactless position sensor to optimize turbo efficiency. The result is a compact unit with smaller turbine and compressor wheels, capable of contributing to industry-leading fuel efficiency and emissions reduction while delivering good levels of driveability.

Photo Credit: Volkswagen