New GM Four-Cylinder Puts Holden's Family II Future In Doubt

[JoeT]

New GM Four Puts Holden's Family II In Doubt

Marton Pettendy
28 June 2007
www.goauto.com.au

A new small-capacity four-cylinder engine family - under joint development at General Motors' South Korean subsidiary, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology (GMDAT), and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center in Shanghai (PATAC) - could be the final nail in the coffin for the production of GM Holden's lucrative Family II engine.

According to Automotive News, production of GM's new entry-level petrol engines, which will be manufactured in at least 1.4 and 1.6-litre guises, is expected to begin in 2009 at GM's Qingdao engine plant in the northeast China province of Shandong.

AN says the new engine family, which is based on a GM Daewoo engine (which itself was based on a Suzuki design) that is now being produced at Shanghai General Motors, GM's joint venture in China, could replace GM's 1.6-litre engine globally – as well as provide it with a much-needed smaller engine in the US.

GM Holden, the majority owner of GM Daewoo, currently produces Family II four-cylinder engines in displacements ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 litres, for countries including China, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea - which produces Holden's four-cylinder Barina and Viva models.

Click here to continue article

GM Developing New Small Engine; Maybe Daewoo Engine Replacement
Ming's History of the Holden Family II Engines

Family fall-out: Next generation Barina could have a Chinese engine

[mikmak]

There are a lot of displacements missing from the new engines list. I would be hoping for something newer as even the 2.2DI gets some criticism for aural qualities and being somewhat breathless in the higher end of the rev range. Sure a lot of punters wont be too concerned, except when going up hill in an auto, but how often does that happen?

[GN6]

Chinese engines...to go with the Chinese tires of course.

Safety first!

[redimpss5]

Just not interesting news at this time!

[mikmak]

Err, we build the Family II. It's interesting to us. Not to mention, there needs to be a new donk for alpha so what ever takes over is going to be interesting enough.

[hq308]

Why not re-tool the plant to make the new engine? GMDAT are already struggling to build enough cars, how are they going to produce more engines as well. Holden as major shareholders of GMDAT could surely make that decision if it was in the best interests of GM globally.

[DmitryKo]

Originally Posted by JoeT

AN says the new engine family, which is based on a GM Daewoo engine (which itself was based on a Suzuki design) that is now being produced at Shanghai General Motors, GM's joint venture in China, could replace GM's 1.6-litre engine globally – as well as provide it with a much-needed smaller engine in the US.

GM Holden, the majority owner of GM Daewoo, currently produces Family II four-cylinder engines in displacements ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 litres, for

This is the continued confusion that started from the Autoweek report. The key errors are:

1) GM Daewoo's E-TEC II 1.4 L and 1.6 L engines are not from Suzuki - they were licensed from Opel along with the Kadett platform and belong to the same Family 1 range as the European Ecotecs 1.6 L and 1.8 L;

2) GM Daewoo's S-TEC engine did in fact originate from Suzuki - this is a deep modification of the 0.8 L engine from the Suzuki Alto keicar; the modern 1.2 L variant is used in the European Aveo, and the article writers probably didn't bother to check the specs;

3) Holden does not produce 1.6 L engines; their Family II engines start with 1.8 L but they are branded as E-TEC II for GM Daewoo.

[kenman923]

Let Holden focus on design of automobiles.

[mmciau]

Originally Posted by kenman923

Let Holden focus on design of automobiles.

and we can manufacture too!!!!

HEC is capable of the new engine manufacture too

mike

[Ming]

Dmitry Ko, you should send e-mails to Autoweek, etc. As usual you have the facts straight on these engines.

Still, on this topic since they brought it up, the continued viability of the engine in my Suzuki Forenza Wagon, a 2.0L 4-cyl. built in Australia, is something I've wondered about. Its a fine engine in my car, and no doubt helped contribute to the low sticker price, but is clearly a "last generation" 4-cylinder that is being left behind by even the cheaper brands' engines - such as Hyundai's 4-bangers with VVT, etc.

Without updates like the ones being proposed for the new Daewoo built-in-China engine variant, I can't see how Holden will be able to continue producing an engine like this with Australian labor costs. Seems to me that more advanced countries should be producing more advanced engines -- and China will take the low end. But if China applies the higher tech advancements to its competing 4-bangers...then where does that leave an Australian factory producing an outdated engine?

The way Holden is running the 2.0L into the ground and milking it for all its worth without updating it reminds me of GM North America's 3800 and 4.3L truck V6, and of course the China-built 3400.

[asylum]

we've got a TK Barina and the E-TEC II 1.6 is a horrible rough gutless little motor. hopefully whatever is replacing it is muuuuch nicer

[importedtuna]

I took an Aveo for a test drive at the GM test drive thing they do at cities around the country. Maybe its that I drove an SSR right before the Aveo, but yeah that was one gutless engine.

Probably fine for a commuter car, but it would need a seriously lower price to compete with the more refined engines in the new subcompact Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. In other words, if the price is right, sure I'd compromise on the fanciness of my engine, but not when its the same price as a Versa.

[Elk]

So is this going to be a better engine or just the same crappy engine made in a cheaper way?

[DmitryKo]

Originally Posted by Elk

So is this going to be a better engine or just the same crappy engine made in a cheaper way?

This is going to be the same crappy S-TEC engine upgraded with better control system for increased compression ratio, turbocharging capability, and probably all-aluminum block (see this post and this post too).

Originally Posted by Ming

you should send e-mails to Autoweek, etc.

I don't read Autoweek so I don't want to even bother (and this news article is the exact reason why I won't subscribe ).

the continued viability of the engine in my Suzuki Forenza Wagon, a 2.0L 4-cyl. built in Australia, is something I've wondered about [...] clearly a "last generation" 4-cylinder that is being left behind by even the cheaper brands' engines - such as Hyundai's 4-bangers with VVT, etc.

if China applies the higher tech advancements to its competing 4-bangers...then where does that leave an Australian factory producing an outdated engine?

Good points. I wonder if GM Daewoo's $3.2 billion investment in upgrading engines and transmissions will be applied to Family II engines... but since they do not plan to increase the production in process, I don't see how they could upgrade the single existing Australian plant without stopping it and thus compromising sales.


That said, the most used engines in GM Daewoo's lineup is 1.6 L E-TEC II, which is built in Korea and now China it seems, and 1.4 L E-TEC II for the European market (Korean domestic Gentra, Aveo and Lacetti are only availabe with the 1.6 L as of now).

Holden's 1.8 L E-TEC II is reserved for the European Lacetti in the top CDX trim that comes with leather seats, traction control and automatic climate control - and that brings the price close to better offerings such as the Focus and the Astra, so this trim is not very popular (AFAIK 1.8 L is slowly being replaced by the 2.0 L diesel from VM Motori in the CDX trim). And 2.0 L E-TEC II is reserved for the US and Canada, where sales have been less than spectacular for the Reno/Forenza and Optra/Optra5 (less that 15 000 a year if I'm not mistaken).

So Holden could probably afford several months of idling required to upgrade their facilities, provided they ramp up the production for while to make a reserve...

[joey]

Anything to have them stop making those crappy 3.4L V6's

Since China seems to also be busy poisoning our food, what makes you think any of their engines will be any better?