(October 15, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors will develop an all-new global family of small-displacement Ecotec gasoline engines over the next several years that will give customers in markets around the world improved fuel economy, higher quality, better performance and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

The program could encompass more than 2 million engines a year by the end of the decade.

The new global engine family will comprise a range of three- and four-cylinder engines — in displacements from 1.0-liter to 1.5-liter — engineered and manufactured in multiple regions for global use. They will feature lightweight design and advanced technologies such as direct injection, turbocharging and alternative fuel compatibility to provide customers with both efficiency and on-demand performance. The new engine family also will be designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, a common trait of smaller engines.

“Our customers around the world agree we need to reduce our dependence on petroleum and reduce vehicle carbon emissions,” said Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for GM global small cars and electric vehicles.

“We are working aggressively on vehicle electrification and other technologies, but the most immediate progress will come from continually improving the internal combustion engine.”

The global engine family consolidation is part of GM’s larger product development strategy to reduce engineering and manufacturing complexity and cost while improving competitiveness, efficiency and quality.

For example, to reduce engineering and manufacturing complexity, the engines will be designed and built using a modular approach with interchangeable global components. This also provides more flexibility for global vehicle programs.

Production is expected to begin mid-decade. The engines will be introduced in GM global vehicle programs across multiple vehicle architectures in various regions, through the end of the decade. Manufacturing locations and production timing will be announced later.

The new engine family is the result of an engineering partnership between GM and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC).