South Korea's Hyundai revealed a new hybrid engine and an 8-speed transmission on 27 October. At the company-organised annual International Powertrain Conference held at Seoul, Hyundai revealed a new Kappa 1.6-litre gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine, capable of producing maximum power of 105PS, and maximum torque of 147Nm. The engine is to be used specifically in the company's hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) starting from early 2016. According to the company statement, the new engine features a combination of Atkinson cycle, cooled exhaust gas recirculation, and a long stroke specification to maximise thermal efficiency. Meanwhile, Hyundai also revealed a new front-wheel-drive 8-speed automatic transmission at the annual exhibition. The latest transmission has 7.3% improvement in fuel-efficiency figures, when compared with the existing 6-speed automatic transmission, and is 3.5 kilograms lighter. The new transmission will be mated to its Lambda, Theta turbo GDI, and R-family engines, targeting the large and luxury car segments.
Significance: Hyundai currently sells a hybrid version of its Sonata sedan model and also recently launched a PHEV version. Hyundai is planning to begin sales of its "first-dedicated" hybrid hatchback model as early as November this year. IHS Automotive identifies the model as a C-segment hatchback model, codenamed "the C-Green" in our data, which is predicted to make use of the new engine in question. The model is expected to sell about 3,384 units in South Korea following its launch in November 2015, before entering 20 other global markets in 2016 with predicted global volumes of 63,174 units in 2016. Although no further details are available, these developments point to Hyundai's intention to enhance its product portfolio in the hybrid and plug-in hybrid segments.
