John McCormick

Small engine shift signals big changes for buyers

It's time to think small. Small engines, that is. As tough as it may be for some U.S. consumers to accept, the world's automakers -- including those selling cars in the United States -- are switching their emphasis to smaller, more efficient engines.

As we move into 2010, this means car buyers will find distinct changes in the nature and selection of engines being offered in showrooms.

Given the long lead times involved in the development of new powertrains, this shift in focus dates back even before the gas price crisis that slammed the U.S. market in 2008.

Back then, most major automakers saw the writing on the wall and tweaked their plans to offer a broader range of smaller cars with smaller engines to American buyers.

Impact widely felt

This sea change is affecting not just subcompact vehicles but larger models as well. Case in point: Hyundai's new midsize 2011 Sonata sedan and the 2010 Tucson crossover will both soon come to market with only four-cylinder engines. The previous generations of both offered V-6 engines as well. Hyundai argues that its new four-banger provides the same power as the old V-6 but with 20 percent better fuel economy.

When there was pressure on automakers to downsize their engines, manufacturers usually hedged their bets by making larger motors optional. This time around, the migration from V-6 to four cylinders, or from V-8 to V-6 engines, seems to be more widespread.

Ford is embracing this movement with its introduction of turbocharged direct-fuel injection engines -- a combination the company calls EcoBoost. For example, a growing number of Ford's midsize to large cars and crossovers -- including the Taurus sedan and the Lincoln MKT crossover -- are offering a turbo 3.5-liter V-6, which has the power and torque output of a V-8, but is less thirsty.

General Motors Co. is going down the same path with its Buick division. That brand's newest model, the Regal, was introduced at the Los Angeles auto show. In place of its predecessor's V-6, the 2011 version comes with a choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 2.4-liter with 182 horsepower and a 2.0-liter turbo that delivers 220 horsepower. Buick says the turbo four has more torque than most V-6s offered by its competition.

Europe taking note

For European high-volume automakers, powerful small-displacement engines have been the name of the game for years. Now that American consumers have had an uncomfortable taste of high fuel prices and continue to suffer the effects of a recession, companies like Volkswagen are wondering if U.S. buyers will accept even smaller, yet still powerful, four-cylinder engines.

Currently, VW's default gasoline engine on its Jetta and Golf models is a 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 170 horsepower. But in Europe, VW has a supercharged and turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, with 160 horsepower and excellent fuel economy that could make its way to the United States.

At the lower end of the market, automakers are hoping that Americans' newfound frugality will translate into strong sales for a wave of new small cars, such as the Ford Fiesta and the Chevrolet Cruze, coming in the summer and fall of 2010, respectively.

In both cases, small but still punchy four-cylinder engines are expected to be key to the cars' appeal.

Car Culture John McCormick is a columnist for Autos Consumer and can be reached at john.mccormick@detnews.com.