Volkswagen has released details on its latest small displacement engine. Manual-transmission aficionados can choose the 1.4-liter with a five-speed manual transmission.

How the people supposed to polish a plastic intake manifold?? The only aspect to be carried over from the EA111 engine that preceded it, is the 82 mm cylinder spacing.

It seems like most of the automakers now are slowly making the switch to go from the standard engine to downsize turbocharged engine.

The new engine-which we have sampled extensively in Europe-is so good that it will make life hard for VW’s 1.8-liter TSI, which makes 170 horsepower, but whose torque figure, at 184 lb-ft, is identical to that of the 1.4-liter. According to Volkswagen, the power plant also has “incredible boost response thanks to its cleverly designed intake manifold, which enables the use of a surprisingly small, single-scroll compressor”. The intercooler, uniquely, is integrated directly into the injection-molded induction pipe. Reaching that hummock of torque required wringing out the engine to 4000 rpm; maximum power came at 5200 rpm.

The smaller engine is more potent than the outgoing naturally aspirated 2.0-liter, which made 115 horsepower, and it’s more efficient with a manufacturer-estimated 39 mpg highway rating when paired with the six-speed automatic transmission. “Volkswagen leads the industry with the implementation of these engines in North America and we are excited that we are furthering our leadership with the introduction of the latest-generation EA211 engine in the Jetta”, said the Volkswagen of America’s vice president of Product Marketing and Strategy, Joerg Sommer.