GM'S Vortec 4200 I-6 Named 2004 Ward's 10 Best Engine
09 Dezember 2003 - 7:45PM
PR Newswire (US)
GM'S Vortec 4200 I-6 Named 2004 Ward's 10 Best Engine PONTIAC,
Mich., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year,
General Motors' Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine has been
recognized as a Ward's Communications "10 Best Engine." When it was
introduced in 2002 model year vehicles, the Vortec 4200 was the
first inline six-cylinder engine in GM Powertrain's engine
portfolio in almost 20 years. Recognized by Ward's at that time,
the engine has continued to garner their praise, earning 10 Best
recognition in 2003, and now again for 2004. The Vortec 4200 is a
4.2-liter, inline six-cylinder, all-aluminum, dual- overhead-cam,
four-valves-per-cylinder design engine. Using a range of advanced
engine technologies, like variable valve timing, electronic
throttle control, and coil-on-plug ignition, the engine delivers
275 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, providing customers the power of a
V-8 with the efficiency of a six-cylinder. Since its introduction,
the Vortec 4200 has been a proven sales success in GM's midsize
sport utility vehicles, with engine production at GM's Flint South
Engine plant exceeding one million engines in August 2003. Today,
it is the standard powerplant in the 2004 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet
TrailBlazer and TrailBlazer EXT, GMC Envoy, Envoy XL and Envoy XUV.
For 2004, GM engineers have updated the popular inline-six to meet
federal Tier 2 Bin 5 and California LEV II exhaust emission
standards in vehicles rated at less than 6,000 lbs. gross vehicle
weight, making many of the SUVs it powers cleaner than most cars on
the road today. In addition to advanced engine technologies, the
Vortec 4200 is built using advanced manufacturing processes. The
cast aluminum six-cylinder engine blocks and aluminum cylinder
heads are produced using the "lost foam" casting process at GM's
Saginaw Metal Casting Operation. This process allows more exact
dimensional control while reducing machining efforts in oil
galleries, coolant and other internal passages. "We designed the
Vortec 4200 to be a benchmark engine in power, performance, and
refinement," says Ron Kociba, chief engineer, Vortec inline
engines. "We're honored that the judges of the Ward's 10 Best
continue to recognize the engine for these characteristics." Ward's
Communications publishes Ward's AutoWorld and Ward's Engine and
Vehicle Technology Update. The criteria for the 10 Best Engines
competition includes a range of customer driveability factors such
as horsepower, torque, technical relevance to the vehicle, and low
levels of noise, vibration and harshness. Ward's 10 Best Engines
was created as a way to recognize superior performance and showcase
the critical importance of powertrain technology and excellence in
engine engineering. GM Powertrain is a global producer of engines,
transmissions, castings and components for GM vehicles and other
automotive, marine, and industrial OEMs. Headquartered in Pontiac,
GM Powertrain has operating and coordinating responsibility for
General Motors powertrain manufacturing plants and engineering
centers in North America, South America, Europe, and the Asia-
Pacific region. DATASOURCE: GM Powertrain CONTACT: Nick Richards of
GM Powertrain Communications, +1-248-857-0163, email: Web site:
http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
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