Upcoming Skoda, VW SUVs To Get Locally Made 1.0-Litre TSI Turbo Petrol Engine

Available in multiple configurations, the 999cc turbocharged petrol engine will power all of Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 IN-based cars in India starting from 2020

Volkswagen Group will localise the 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine in India which will replace the current 1.2-litre TSI and the 1.6-litre MPI engines. The 1.2-litre TSI is currently available with the Polo GT TSI and the Vento, while the 1.6-litre MPI is offered with the Vento as well as the Skoda Rapid. The 1.0-litre TSI engine is expected to debut in India sometime around 2020 when BSVI norms are implemented. It should later power the MQB A0 IN-based VW and Skoda SUVs too, which are expected to be revealed in the second half of 2020.

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The 1.0-litre TSI engine is available in multiple states of tune with an option of a 5/6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG (dual-clutch automatic). It powers the VW Golf and the Seat Leon in the 85PS/175Nm tune, paired with only a manual transmission. The same engine is made to produce 95PS and 115PS of maximum power in the sixth-gen Polo and the Seat Arona (Seat’s version of the VW T-Cross) respectively. In these higher-output configurations, the engine comes paired with either a manual transmission or the new 7-speed DSG.

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Pictured: Volkswagen T-Cross (Official Sketch)

Volkswagen recently introduced a new 1.0-litre 3-cylinder MPI petrol engine (75PS/95Nm) on the Polo and Ameo. It replaces the older 1.2-litre 75PS/110Nm, 3-cylinder petrol engine in these cars. We believe, introducing this engine in India was a strategic move by the Volkswagen Group since the 1.0-litre MPI is from the same EA211 engine family as the upcoming 1.0-litre TSI. Since the 1.0-litre MPI has already been localised, it would be easier now for Volkswagen Group to localise the TSI as well as there would be fewer different parts like cylinder head, turbocharger and intercooler.

Essentially, the MPI is a naturally aspirated engine, while the TSI features turbocharging. Both the engines displace 999cc and have identical bore and stroke as well. The TSI is more powerful than the MPI, but it’s also the more expensive of the two. It features direct fuel injection, whereas it’s the fuel-air mixture that goes into the cylinder in the case of the MPI. 

Pictured: Sixth-gen Volkswagen Polo 

As a result, we believe, going forward, it’ll be the 1.0-litre MPI that would power smaller VW and Skoda cars (like the upcoming Polo or Ameo), while the TSI would do duty on bigger cars like the Vento, Rapid and upcoming MQB A0 IN-based Skoda and VW SUVs.

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