All-new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder Smartstream turbo engine comes with Hyundai’s new valve tech technology. This enables to continuously change the duration of valve openings for the optimum driving experience, which Hyundai says results in a 4 percent performance boost, 5 percent better fuel economy, and 12 percent lower emissions.
How It Works
It is the “world’s first continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) technology,” and differs from conventional variable valve timing systems because their valve closing timing depends on their opening timing. However, this system adjusts the length of time the valve is open, staying open longer at lower RPM and lower engine loads to improve efficiency by reducing compression resistance.
On the contrary, with higher RPMs and engine loads, the valves close quicker, at the beginning of the compression stroke, it maximizes the amount of air in the cylinder when the spark ignites it and deliver extra torque and performance as a result. The new technology appears to move the camshaft slightly off-center to control the length of time the valve’s open for, and this seems to affect both opening and closing timing, with the maximally accessible point staying at the same spot in the combustion cycle.
The new tech will be rolling in the Smartstream G1.6 T-GDi engine. It’s a four-cylinder 1.6-liter turbo making 180 hp and 265 Nm (195 lb-ft) of torque. It’ll also run low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation to help cool the combustion chambers and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and a thermal management system designed to quickly heat or cool the engine into its optimal temperature range.
The tech was due to appear later in 2019. However, we’ll first see the Smartstream engine in the upcoming Hyundai Sonata Turbo.
