FSI Technology at Volkswagen

Press Release

Innovative engine technology has been expanded

• New 1.4-litre direct injection petrol engine with 63 kW (86 bhp) available immediately in the Polo
• Significantly less fuel consumption

The Volkswagen group was the first to take the path to the future of direct injection combustion engines in 1989. The first direct injection diesel engine, the TDI, and following generations -up to the current pump-jet technology- has shown the potential of this engine technology. The main advantages of direct injection - high output yield and low petrol consumption- can be transferred to petrol engines. Once more Volkswagen was the pioneer in this field when at the end of 2000 the first Volkswagen with direct petrol injection was unveiled. The Lupo FSI was the first recipient of Volkswagen's direct petrol injection engine with a 1.4-litre capacity and a 77 kW / 105 bhp output. With an average consumption of 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres the Lupo FSI became the first five-litre automobile with a petrol engine. In contrast to a conventional petrol engine of similar output level the Lupo FSI attains a 30 per cent lower petrol consumption. After the Lupo, Golf and Bora the Polo follows with FSI technology The new technology is already offered for the Golf and Bora models in form of a 1.6-litre FSI engine with 81 kW (110 bhp), the third version has now been fitted in the new Polo. The Polo FSI has a new petrol direct injection engine under the bonnet with a 1.4-litre capacity and producing 63 kW / 86 bhp at 5,000 rpm. This surprisingly low engine speed improves the acoustic properties of the engine and aids lower fuel consumption. The maximum torque of 130 Nm is already attained at a speed of only 3,750 rpm and results in a high torque curve. The four-cylinder engine is based on the Lupo FSI but was optimised in regards to the internal engine friction, the acoustical comfort and the petrol consumption. On average the Polo FSI uses only 5.8 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres and produces nine percent better results compared to a 55 kW (75 bhp) petrol engine using the conventional mixture preparation. These consume an average of 6.4 litres of premium grade petrol per 100 kilometres. In city traffic, the Polo FSI consumes 13 per cent less than a regular four-cylinder engine. The most significant change in comparison to the previous FSI engines is that the belt drive in the Polo FSI has now been replaced with a chain drive. The camshaft is powered by a toothed chain operating at a low noise level. A hydraulic chain adjuster ensures optimum performance of the camshaft drive. The efforts of the Volkswagen engineers to reduce the friction to a minimum in the new FSI engine have led to gratifying results. The oil pump located in the oil sump is powered by a sleeve-type chain. For the first time in the Volkswagen Group a volume flow rate controlled oil pump has been used. Reduced friction loss as a primary objective In the new Polo FSI a double-loop cooling system works together with a crossflow radiator to contribute to higher efficiency. In this cooling system the flow of the coolant is divided after entering the crankcase: one part of the coolant flows through the crankcase, the other part directly to the cylinder head. Since each of the coolant streams is controlled by a thermostat, different temperatures can be attuned. A slightly higher temperature level in the individual components leads to higher oil viscosities which in turn reduce the internal friction. These measures also reduce the warm-up period of the engine which has a positive effect on fuel economy.