Peter Palmer: Jaguar Land Rover Unveils New Engine & Transmission Technology

Jaguar Land Rover is boosting their powertrain efficiency, recently unveiling new technology that improves fuel economy and reduces emissions. The new powertrains will compliment Jaguar Land Rover’s current and future lineup. Forthcoming models will see a weight reduction to increase overall vehicle efficiency as well.

“Environmental innovation is at the heart of our strategy to dramatically reduce emissions up to 2020 and beyond,” said Nick Rogers, Group Engineering Director.

Dual Purpose

Jaguar Land Rover’s efficiency strategy hinges on two vital elements: a new four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine and an emerging generation of transmissions. The four-cylinder Ingenium is already in production at the Engine Manufacturing Centre in the United Kingdom. The new automatic transmissions come from the TRANSCEND research project, a multi-million dollar investment by Jaguar Land Rover.

“With the Ingenium family of powertrains and advanced research projects such as TRANSCEND, future Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will emit significantly less CO2,” Rogers said.

Ingenium Petrol Engine. Photo: Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC.

Ingenium Petrol Engines

This new breed is the most advanced engine in the history of Jaguar Land Rover. State-of-the-art features include an electrohydraulic valvetrain, integrated exhaust manifold, and twin scroll turbocharger with a ceramic ball bearing. The Ingenium uses a common architecture so it can easily accommodate a range of vehicles.

“Ingenium has been developed as a modular family of powerful, efficient, and refined all-aluminum petrol and diesel engines,” Rogers said.

Jaguar Land Rover expects 25 percent more power with a 15 percent gain in fuel economy versus the current engines. Rogers says the new design delivers solid performance and meets strict emissions requirements.

“All Ingenium engines deliver benchmark low levels of friction, contributing to inherently good efficiency and refinement,” he explained.

Ingenium Petrol Engine. Photo: Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC.

TRANSCEND Program

The TRANSCEND project was tasked with developing a transmission that would increase fuel economy and expand all-wheel drive capability. Many of the requirements centered around creating an innovative mechanical design, utilizing advanced manufacturing techniques, and lightweight construction.

Matching efficiency with customer expectations was paramount as well.

“TRANSCEND demonstrates Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to original research that improves the driving experience and the environmental performance of our vehicles,” Rogers said.

TRANSCEND Specs

The new eight-speed transmission features an ultra-wide ratio spread of 20, more than double a conventional eight-speed automatic. Around 20kg less than existing eight-speeds, TRANSCEND fits in both longitudinal rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. The transmission employs a low-range gear box, dual-clutch, and hybrid technologies.

Rogers notes the nearly 10 percent gain in fuel economy, without sacrificing driving dynamics.

“It will make maneuvering and off-road use easier than ever before for drivers, whilst also improving on-road vehicle dynamics and CO2 emissions,” he said.

TRANSCEND received additional funding from the United Kingdom to help promote the export of British hybrid vehicle technology.

Future Investments

Jaguar Land Rover says they will continue with an environmentally focused mindset, putting particular emphasis on weight reduction and the aforementioned engines and transmissions. Since 2008, the automaker has doubled its staff of powertrain engineers, and concentrated heavily on determining the options and capacities of future powertrains. Some of those benefits might appear sooner than later, however.

“By 2020, new technologies will help us reduce our emissions by a further 25 percent,” Rogers said.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan