Škoda Tweaks EVO Engines for new Fabia
Škoda has refreshed its powertrain options for the new Fabia offering five new super efficiency internal combustion units from Volkswagen’s EVO generation.
All will meet the latest Euro 6d emissions standard and the options start with two 1.0-liter MPI engines with claimed power outputs of 63bhp and 77bhp coupled to a manual five-speed gearbox. They are joined by a 1.0-liter TSI claiming a power output of 91bhp while an upgraded 106bhp 1.0-liter TSI with comes with a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed DSG.
Topping the power range is the new 1.5-liter TSI claiming 146bhp coupled with a seven-speed DSG. The majority of the engines and all the transmissions for the new Škoda Fabia are produced in the Czech Republic. The MPI engines and 1.0 TSI powertrains are produced in Mladá Boleslav and the manual transmissions also leave the assembly line at Škoda’s main plant. The sevn-speed DSG is manufactured at the Vrchlabí plant.
Škoda says it has made numerous refinements that reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of the two MPI engines from the current EVO generation while at the same time increasing their performance. An improved crankshaft drive complete with pistons and piston rings reduces friction losses. Targeted modification of the water circulation system around the cylinder head and engine block ensures greater cooling efficiency for the cylinders, combustion chambers and integrated exhaust manifold.
The three-cylinder MPI engines operate on the Atkinson combustion cycle, where the intake valves only close during a piston’s compression stroke, resulting in part of the air-fuel mixture being pushed back into the intake manifold. This reduces the compression ratio, which in turn lowers the fuel consumption.
The two 1.0-liter TSI direct injection engines use a high injection pressure of 350 bar. Their cylinder bores are plasma coated to a thickness of just is just 150 micrometers (0.15 millimeters) and replaces the cast-iron cylinder liners in the aluminum cylinder crankcase, reducing internal friction inside the three cylinders. This lowers fuel consumption and emissions even further, while reducing the thermal load through a more even distribution and dissipation of heat in the combustion chamber.
The plasma coating and 350-bar injection pressure are also featured in the new top-of-the-range 1.5-liter TSI engine. Thanks to active cylinder management, the four-cylinder engine automatically deactivates two cylinders under light load conditions to save fuel and CO2 emissions.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
