The P-TEC 1.2-liter engine in the Chevrolet Spark and ECOTEC 1.6-liter DVVT engine in the Chevrolet Cruze were among the 10 Best Engines of China 2009 announced by Auto Sports magazine. 

Twenty-nine engines from 20 automakers participated in the competition.  Winners were chosen based on their energy savings, environmental friendliness and overall performance.

“GM has made it a priority to maximize the performance and fuel economy of our vehicles built and sold in China,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group.  “The Spark and Cruze offer some of the industry’s latest powertrain technology.  This validates our strategy of rolling out vehicles that are leaders in fuel economy to keep pace with the fast-changing China market.  With the most diverse product offering in the market, we believe this strategy is helping us win over more customers.”

Chevrolet Spark P-TEC 1.2-liter engine

SAIC-GM-Wuling rolled out the new Chevrolet Spark mini-car featuring GM’s P-TEC 1.2-liter engine last December. The engine, which is based on GM’s advanced powertrain standards, is characterized by high power, low fuel consumption and good quality.  It generates 52 kW of power per liter.  This exceeds the national environmentally friendly engine definition of 50 kW of power per liter. 

As a result, the Spark featuring the P-TEC 1.2-liter engine is rated best among all A00 passenger vehicles in the segment under 1.4 liters in China.  In the first 11 months of the year, domestic sales of the Spark were up 52.2 percent on an annual basis to 56,955 units.

Chevrolet Cruze ECOTEC 1.6-liter DVVT engine

The Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan was introduced in China by Shanghai GM in April.  It was developed by GM’s global engineering and design team.  Its ECOTEC 1.6-liter engine features full variable valve timing to optimize the charge cycle. The benefits include higher power output and more torque over a wide engine speed range, reduced emissions due to greater exhaust gas recirculation, and improved fuel consumption. 

The performance of this four-cylinder, 16-valve engine is characterized by strong pulling power, even at low engine speeds, and high levels of efficiency, with 86 kW of maximum power at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 150 Nm at 3,800 rpm.

The Cruze comes with a choice of a highly efficient six-speed auto-manual transmission and a five-speed manual transmission, which further improve fuel economy.  Through the end of November, Cruze sales in China totaled 73,372 units.