No TSIs for now: Suzuki

Don't expect to see VW-sourced turbocharged petrol engines under the bonnet of any mass-market Suzuki for some time. That's the message from senior execs at the Japanese car and motorcycle maker.

Expected by many to adopt smaller capacity turbocharged petrol engines sourced from partner Volkswagen, Suzuki will retain engine independence and natural aspiration for its key models, insiders say.

The latest Swift is a case in point. Though it's conceivable Suzuki could have used the same 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that powers VW's Polo, instead the new Japanese light car gets an all-new naturally-aspirated 1.4-litre engine designed and developed in-house.

The long-stroke 70kW 1.4 replaces the 74kW 1.5 that powered the last generation Swift. A thoroughly conventional engine, it eschews direct-injection or any 'advanced' induction trickery.
 
In the first instance the choice is based on the fact an atmo engine suits the car, says Swift program chief engineer, Naoyuki Takeuchi.

"We considered turbocharged engines for the new Swift, but natural [aspirated] is the best choice," Takeuchi told the Carsales Network at the car's launch in Japan this week.

"A naturally aspirated engine has the right feel and driving feel is very important for the Swift," he opined.

"The engine is also simpler... And delivered the environmental performance we aimed at [without turbocharging].

"We might consider a turbocharged engine sometime in the future but we prefer to pursue a policy of making the body lighter. That way we can deliver efficiency without having to downsize [the engine] and turbocharge the smaller engine," Takeuchi explained.

The pace at which Volkswagen and Suzuki can dovetail their various development programs is the second and perhaps more strategic stumbling block when it comes to using the German company's TSI engines.

"We are studying and talking with Volkswagen. But they have programs and we have ours and it is not so easy to align them," Suzuki's Oceania marketing chief, Masaaki Kato commented.

"The [electrical] platform that Volkswagen uses is very different from ours. In addition Volkswagen builds its engines and platforms differently from Suzuki. Perhaps the best results of the collaboration will be in the future," Kato diplomatically explained.

Kato asserted the VW Suzuki tie-up was intended to be more than simply a swap of components. A Swift with Polo running gear is not the answer it seems.
The marketing boss suggested that much of Volkswagen's interest in the co-shareholding stemmed from Suzuki's experience in building low cost light and sub-light cars for emerging (and rapidly) growing markets such as India.

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