VW reveals new 447kW 6.0 W12 and 200kW 1.0-litre

Volkswagen has given us a glimpse of some the new state-of-the-art engines that will power its vehicles of the future.

In a speech at the annual International Vienna Motor Symposium, head of powertrain development Friedrich Eichler revealed the future of VW Group’s internal combustion engines will hinge on high-revving diesels and high-performance three-cylinder turbo-petrol engines.

Eichler also used the engineering summit to show off the Group’s new 447kW/900Nm 6.0 W12 turbo that will power future Bentleys and Audis.

Claimed to be the most efficient 12-cylinder in the luxury class, the engineering boss said that it emits less than 250g/km of CO2 and would deliver 0-100km acceleration in less than four seconds and a top speed of ‘over 300km/h’.

The first application of the new turbocharged 6.0-litre is expected to be in the new Bentley Bentayga SUV that’s due next year.

Volkswagen also teased its new TDI engine range that with “innovative thermal management, maximal charging thanks to e-boosters as well as new materials and coatings, these state-of-the-art TDI engines are already capable of achieving a power output of well over 100kW per litre of displacement”.

As well as the range-topping new 6.0-litre, board member Heinz-Jakob Neußer unveiled a new high-performance three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that had the “genes of the Polo WRC rally engine”. The heroic 1.0-litre with both single-turbo and e-boost electronic-driven compressor produces a barely believable 200kW/270Nm.

Neußer described the experimental three-cylinder as a “nice example of just how much potential combustion engines still have in them”.

Finally, the Volkswagen Group also unveiled the new 2.0-litre diesel for its new MQB-based Mulitvan and Transporter. Said to be 14 per cent more efficient, the new engine will appear in other VW commercial vehicles and be available with out puts of 62 to 150kW.

As well as efficiency the new engines are said to boost “beefy torque curves” more suitable for vans, utes and trucks.