Chevy Said to Use Opel Designed 1.6-liter Turbo Engine in the U.S., Could Sprout Sonic SS

It seems that the American hot hatch game could be getting even hotter. A report from GM Inside News (GMI) tell us that the new 1.6-liter turbo developed by GM’s European subsidiary Opel, will be finding its way stateside within the next couple of years.

This particular engine, not to be confused with GM’s 1.6-liter turbo currently in use in Europe and Asia, utilizes direct fuel injection and start/stop technology in efforts to maximize fuel economy.

The new 1.6 Turbo will find its way mostly, but not limited to, Chevy models such as the Malibu, Equinox and most importantly the Sonic, putting it in direct competition to Ford’s EcoBoost engine, currently found on the Focus ST as a possible SS variant.

The upcoming engine could be used to power a performance version of the Sonic with SS moniker.

Opel, which will begin production of the new engine at its Hungary facility later this year, has said that the 1.6liter Turbo will be offered in various states of tune with the most potent version delivering 197hp (200PS) at 4,700rpm and 300Nm (221 lb-ft) from as low as 1,700rpm.

By Jeff Perez

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