VW to Produce Two-Cylinder Diesel

Volkswagen AG will begin making a two-cylinder diesel engine for its Up! city car in the second half of 2013, according to media reports from the Sao Paulo auto show that cite R&D director Ulrich Hackenberg.

The 800-cc engine is essentially half of VW's four-cylinder, 1.6-liter diesel. The company unveiled a two-cylinder diesel in the XL1 plug-in concept car it debuted last year. Reports say the XL1 will be presented in limited-production form at the Geneva auto show in March.

Like the engine in the XL1 concept, the little production diesel is expected to make about 58 hp and 88 lb-ft of torque. The standard powerplant for the Up is a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine that makes 59 hp.

Hackenberg says the tiny diesel would be suitable for upcoming models that share the company's Small Family platform, including the Polo hatchback.

Reports note that the engine also could be offered in a production version of the subcompact Taigun crossover vehicle, which was unveiled in concept form earlier this week at the Sao Paulo auto show.