VW dropping naturally-aspirated engines

Volkswagen has confirmed it will phase out its naturally-aspirated gasoline-burning engines over the next three or four years.

“You have to have a turbo these days,” explained Mark Trahan, Volkswagen’s executive vice president for group quality, in an interview with The Detroit News.  “We have only one naturally-aspirated gas engine and when we go to the next generation vehicle that it’s in, it will be replaced.  So three, four years maximum.”

Trahan is referring to the 3.6-liter V6 found in select Touareg and Passat CC models.  Volkswagen has already announced it will replace its aging 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated straight-five with a more frugal turbocharged 1.8-liter four-banger for the 2014 model year. Â

Volkswagen’s move to forced-induction is representative of the auto industry’s general shift towards smaller and more fuel efficient engines.  The trend is a response to rising fuel prices and ever-tightening gas mileage and emissions regulations in high-volume markets all around the world.

Volkswagen is not the only automaker sending the naturally-aspirated engine to the pantheon of automotive history.  Ferrari and Ford have both recently indicated they plan on gradually phasing out non-turbo engines over the coming decade.

Photo by Ronan Glon.<![CDATA[
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