Hyundai has finished development on its first ever direct injection petrol engine, codenamed Theta II GDI (gasoline direction injection).
The new engine will replace the V6 petrol engine on the all-new Korean-market Sonata, which has yet to find a name here.
Hyundai Australia said it can neither confirm nor deny the Sonata badge will return on its mid-sized sedan, simply referring to the vehicle as the YF for the time being.
The new 2.4-litre engine will replace the Korean-market Sonata's V6 mid-way through 2010 and has the following outputs in its domestic configuration:
- Power: 150kW @ 6300rpm
- Torque: 245Nm @ 4250rpm
The four-cylinder GDI engine has an 11.3:1 compression ratio and is claimed to deliver 10 per cent better mileage than a similarly sized engine using conventional multi-point fuel injection.
"The Theta II GDI convincingly demonstrates our parent company's advanced powertrain engineering capabilities," said Hyundai Motor Company Australia's Sales and Marketing Director, Kevin McCann.
The new direct injection engine has been under development for close to four years and some $160 million has been invested into its research and development.
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