Hyundai and Kia have come together to design a brand-new twin-supercharged four-cylinder engine. The companies filed a patent last year on June 19th, 2017 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for this purpose. The document states that the patent has been filed for an engine “including one or more cylinders for generating a driving torque, a plurality of intake lines for supplying external air to one or more cylinders and one or more electric superchargers disposed on, or in, the plurality of intake lines.”
A traditional twin turbocharger brings turbo lag and takes some time to spool hindering the engine’s ability to reach its full potential. This new supercharger engine would limit the amount of lag thanks to a high compression cylinder. The supercharged setup is lightweight and responsive. It adds more power in the lower and middle-speed ranges. This results in a powerful low-end torque which is great for quick acceleration.
Furthermore, the supercharger will be electronically controlled, so its success will mean that other Hyundai vehicles will soon get rid of a traditional turbocharger. A mechanical turbo is weighty and adds extra costs to vehicle manufacturing. There is a cylinder deactivation system which reduces fuel consumption at low speeds.
Would this brand-new twin-supercharged four-cylinder engine go into production, we do not know yet. However, it’s a fresh approach considering other manufacturers are shifting focus to electric cars and hybrids.