New 1.2L Engine Is First GM Three-Cylinder Sold In U.S. Since 2001
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General Motors‘ new turbocharged 1.2-liter LIH three-cylinder engine in the 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer is one of the smallest engines the automaker has ever offered to its North American customers.
As Automotive News Canada points out, the 1.2L engine is the smallest engine offered by GM in North America since the 2001 Geo Metro. The Metro’s base engine was a naturally aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder, which was good for 55 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque. Not surprisingly, the new turbo 1.2L is a major improvement, offering up 137 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque.
GM is also offering a slightly larger turbo 1.3L L3T three-cylinder in the Encore GX and Trailblazer, which makes 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. Both the 1.2L and 1.3L models come standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission, though all-wheel-drive models with the 1.3L engine receive the GM nine-speed automatic.
The 1.2L engine is also the third smallest GM engine ever sold in North America. Apart from the Metro’s 1.0-liter, the only other engine that was smaller was the Opel GT’s 1.1-liter four-cylinder. Similar to the Metro’s 1.0-liter, the Opel GT engine was good for just 67 horsepower and 63 pound-feet of torque.
The new three-cylinder engines will be built at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico. They will then be shipped from Mexico to GM Korea’s Bupyeong facility in Incheon, South Korea, which has been allocated production of the Encore GX and Trailblazer. Both the Encore GX and Trailblazer are expected to go on sale at Chevrolet and Buick dealers in North America in early 2020.
The 1.2-liter and 1.3-liter engines are also currently in use by GM’s joint-venture partner SAIC in various Chinese vehicles. The 1.3-liter engine is also on duty in the Chevrolet Malibu in South Korea. Built on the same common architecture, both engines are all aluminum and weigh just over 200 pounds – about 40 pounds less than a comparable four-cylinder engine, Automotive News Canada says.
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Source: Automotive News Canada
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Drop it in a Spark with handling bits and pieces from the Onix, instant hot-hatch!!
RIP Suzuki! All this talk of a 1.3L engine has me itching for a micro car that could use the Suzuki Hayabusa 1.3L (200hp) monster!
That and GM should import the Suzuki Jimny since they won’t develop their own off roader.
Ok, liked the price but where can I get tech info, specifically the bore/stroke of these engines, for example ford slightly larger turbo 1.5 triple is a classic 84×90, but theres also a NA 1200cc version. That could be 84 x 72 or 75×90. Possibly. A bigger in these small triples means a harder to manage combustion chamber fuel fuel burn. Vs the classic small bore 4 cylinder. But the I3’s are shorter and lighter.
The new gen Jimny is a little honeypot there and we want it here, looks like a baby G wagon specially as a hardtop. It’s the usual suspect CRAP that newjimny can’T meet us safety rules, same for the new china and brasil only currently chevy onix. But we know , not the case. It’d be dirt cheap to tweak for Us sales.
pretty soon there won’t even be a combustion chamber, or cylinders anymore. They will just spray fuel and air directly into a turbine connected to the crankshaft. That’s called a jet engine!
Interesting, ever hear of a French co called microturbo. Remember bede bd5j minijet from the James bond, well that used the Trs18 micro turbojet engine. Made about 200 on
Lbs of thrust. Same outfit made small turbines for missiles and for aircraft api apps. Microturbo is owned by SAFRAN, just as french engine maker turbomeca is.
That will be called an EV its coming
Ok, liked the price but where can I get tech info, specifically the bore/stroke of these engines, for example ford slightly larger turbo 1.5 triple is a classic 84×90, but theres also a NA 1200cc version. That could be 84 x 72 or 75×90. Possibly. A bigger in these small triples means a harder to manage combustion chamber fuel fuel burn. Vs the classic small bore 4 cylinder. But the I3’s are shorter and lighter.
How about the Mitsubishi mirage and smart fortwo? Those have been sold in the u.s. and are 3-cyl… The mirage is still being sold today…
if engines get any smaller the driver will have pedals
I owed a geo meto car and when you drove it on the highway you had to choose in the summer do you want to do the speed limit or do you want a a/c. If you turn on the AC the car would literally drop down 10 miles you would have the floor the gas pedal to try to get the turbo gerbil up to the speed limit!
No way I would buy a 1.2l in something that size. Someone mentioned a Spark. Yes, that’s ideal.
Then throw a CVT behind it? No way!
I bought a new trailblazer or 1.2 l turbo and I love it it has a lot of pep with a tuner chip and gets great mileage now. I average about 38 mpg. I love the CVT after I got used to it . I pull a small enclosed trailer on vacation and had no troubles. Next time I may get awd for use on ice.
I owed a geo meto car and when you drove it on the highway you had to choose in the summer do you want to do the speed limit or do you want a a/c. If you turn on the AC the car would literally drop down 10 miles you would have the floor the gas pedal to try to get the turbo gerbil up to the speed limit!