VW to replace unloved five-cylinder base engine with turbo four

The 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine under the hood of many Volkswagen models has never been a favorite of ours, and it appears VW may finally be over it as well. Car and Driver reports that a pair of VW sources have indicated that the 2.5 will be replaced with a 1.8-liter turbo four.

The smaller, boosted engine would reportedly be based off the tried-and-true 2.0-liter turbo that we've come to know and respect. The 1.8 is already part of VW's European engine lineup, and it pumps out a middling 158 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy should be improved compared to the 2.5, which returns a respectable 33 miles per gallon on the highway in a manual-equipped Jetta, but nothing like the 40 mpg numbers achieved by competitors like the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus.

C/D claims that the move to the 1.8 could also have something to do with manufacturing efficiencies. Since the 1.8 and 2.0 are from the same engine factory, VW could build both models at the same facility.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/18/v...th-turbo-four/

 

Sounds like the old 1.8t from the MKV Jetta and the B5 B6 A4's

 

Didn't C&D recently praise this "unloved" engine when they comparing the Passat or some other VW turd to the new Camry?

 

It's about time they replace the 5 cyclinder engine!

 

I've read just about every VW five cylinder review and it usually gets little praise or is just "average." I do however recall C&D liking it. Overall, it seems like it's VW's weakest link right now.
Good to see the 1.8T return. I had that engine in my 1999 Passat and it was peppy for the weight of that model. The newest application should be made to outgun the current slow five.