Nov 4, 2008

Hyundai Announces Diesel R-Engine for European SUVs and Sedans



If there's one automaker who seems to be on an increasingly upward trend lately, it's Hyundai. The Koreans took the world by storm with their eight-cylinder, rear-drive Genesis sedan, and the Hyundai folks have now released another bit of engineering to compete more closely with other worldwide automakers.

Hyundai's new four-cylinder diesel R-Engine will be available in both 2.0 and 2.2-liter displacements. The 2.0 produces 181 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque while the 2.2 puts out 215 horses and 398 pound-feet. Both engines are more powerful than Audi's new 2.0 TDI engine (170 hp/258 lb-ft).

The first vehicles to get these engines will be SUVs and large sedans sold in Europe, since the R-Engine meets Euro-V emission standards. No word on if this engine will ever make its way to the States, mostly due to our stricter emissions requirements. And to think, we'd love to see a Genesis Coupe with one of these powerplants under the hood.