A Mechanical Symphony: The Continued Advancement of ICE technology

The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) has been one of the more lasting pieces of early technology development. And the manufacturers continue to stretch its half-life. I believe that in the long run, this technology will give way to an alternate form of energy conversion=propulsion, but for now, it remains. And the efficiencies continue to be further developed. The "direct-injection" approach to fuel delivery is not new, but its application in gasoline engines is relatively new. And Nissan has jumped into the fray.

Video: 2011 Nissan Juke to get 1.6L gas-turbo-direct-injected I4

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Feb 12th, 2010 at 6:29PM

When Nissan's new Juke compact crossover hits the streets later this year, it will be powered by the automaker's first gasoline-turbocharged-direct-injected (GTDI) engine. Following in the same technical path blazed by the Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Ford and others, the new engine uses the high-pressure injection system to execute multiple injection pulses for cleaner and more complete combustion. The variable cam phasing system operates independently on both the intake and exhaust camshafts, but the bottom line is this: An impressive 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque from a small displacement engine.

We don't know for sure if this new mill will come to the U.S.-market Juke, but we assume it will, likely paired with either a six-speed automatic transmission or one of Nissan's continuously variable transmissions. We also have no idea what kind of mileage the GTDI Juke will get, but it should be quite competitive. Check out the video after the jump to see it in action. A tip of the hat to Braun!