The new VAG petrol engines could definitively dethrone diesel

The Volkswagen group – and therefore all the brands that make it up – is set to debut a new generation of petrol engines shortly, one that could finally end the reign of diesel powerplants. The German manufacturer’s goal is to find a balance between consumption and performance that gives its engines an extra efficiency compared with their diesel equivalents.

To do so, the Bavarian group has designed a new type of B-cycle engine, a new design that promises to revolutionise the way this mechanical component is manufactured. The first model to receive this new engine will be the Volkswagen Tiguan, which will use a new 2.0 TSI block producing 184 CV of power.

What is the B-cycle and how does it work?

It is a working principle similar to the famous Miller cycle (one of the most widely used by the German brand in its cars, itself a variation of the Otto cycle), but which gives the engine greater energy efficiency.

In fact, through a slight displacement of the camshaft, the new engine will be able to operate in B-cycle during periods of normal power demand, and in Otto cycle during periods of maximum power.

B-cycle engines are supercharged units that achieve faster and more effective compression than Miller-cycle ones. According to Volkswagen, these powerplants achieve a much more effective air and fuel mixture, which results in a much longer effective combustion period; this allows the energy utilisation, the petrol fuel in this case, to be greater.

What real improvement does Volkswagen achieve with these new B-cycle engines?

The new 2.0 TSI engine achieves consumption reduced by 8% compared with its predecessor. However, the power of the previous version (190 CV) is 6 CV higher, and its torque (320 Nm) exceeds the new engine by 20 Nm. But these are only numbers; we will have to wait for the new Volkswagen powerplants to reach the market to see how they perform in real driving conditions.