GM Unveils Two New Engines

Way back in July, GM spilled the beans about some of its future product developments — pictures and all. One of those vehicles was a 2010 Chevy Equinox equipped with a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine that achieves sedan-like mileage.

Today, GM has shed more light on the four-cylinder engine that will power the base Equinox, as well as a new V-6 engine which will be on the higher level Equinox SUV.

The new 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine is similar in many respects to the inline-four found in the Chevy Malibu and HHR. The major difference is the addition of direct injection. Direct injection is the process of spraying fuel directly into the cylinder compartment, where it is mixed with air.

Direct injection enhances fuel efficiency and power, allowing the new Equinox to achieve 30 mpg in highway driving. The Saturn Vue’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder achieves only 26 mpg.

The new 3.0-liter V-6 is also direct-injected. The V-6 is related to GM’s “high-feature” 3.6-liter V-6, which can be found on the Cadillac CTS and Saturn Aura. 

The new V-6 will debut on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 2010 Chevy Equinox and 2010 Cadillac SRX. Those vehicles, along with the Equinox, will debut at the Detroit auto show next month.

Below are specs for the powertrains (output will vary by model):

• 180-hp, 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder with 172 pounds-feet of torque (on 2010 Equinox)
• 255-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 with 214 pounds-feet of torque (on 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 2010 Chevy Equinox and Cadillac SRX)

Update: We’ll have more details and many more images of the 2010 Chevy Equinox this Saturday night at midnight EST.