GM's Vortec 4200 I-6 Named 2003 Ward's 10 Best Engine

Final Power Levels Released For New Vortec I-5 And I-4 Engines

DETROIT January 8, 2003; For the second consecutive year, General Motors' Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine has been recognized as a Ward's Communications "10 Best Engine." GM Powertrain has also released the final horsepower and torque numbers for the all-new Vortec 3500 inline five-cylinder and Vortec 2800 inline four-cylinder engines that will be featured in the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

The Vortec 4200 was recognized as a 2003 Ward's 10 Best Engine at a ceremony in Detroit today in conjunction with the 2003 North American International Auto Show. The engine is featured in the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer and TrailBlazer EXT, and GMC Envoy and Envoy XL. It will also be standard in the 2004 Buick Rainier and GMC Envoy XUV.

GM Powertrain has also finalized the output for the new Vortec I-5 and I-4 engines, which are based off of the Vortec 4200 I-6. The Vortec 3500 I-5 will produce 220 horsepower (164 kW) and 225 lb-ft (305 Nm) of torque. The Vortec 2800 I-4 will deliver 175 horsepower (131 kW) and 185 lb-ft (251 Nm) of torque. Both engines will provide the power of a V-6 and the efficiency of an I-4.

The new I-5 and I-4 engines are scaled down versions of the I-6 engine. With their common design, the 3.5-liter I-5 and 2.8-liter I-4 engines feature the same all-aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts and four-valves-per-cylinder technology as the 4.2-liter I-6. The new engines also share the I-6's high 10:1 compression ratio, electronic throttle control, variable valve timing, coil-on-plug ignition, direct-mount accessories and easy maintenance features.

The cast aluminum four- and five-cylinder engine blocks and aluminum cylinder heads are produced using the same "lost foam" casting process as the Vortec 4200. This process allows more exact dimensional control while reducing machining efforts in oil galleries, coolant and other internal passages.

Overall, the new engines share 76 percent of their components with the Vortec 4200 and 88 percent of their components with each other. This provides customers with highly proven design features and enables GM to develop and introduce them more quickly and at a lower cost.

The Vortec 4200 I-6 is assembled at GM Powertrain's Flint Engine South facility in Flint, Mich., and the Vortec 3500 I-5 and 2800 I-4 will be assembled at the Tonawanda Engine facility in Tonawanda, N.Y.

"The real key to these engines is that they're part of a carefully planned and developed inline family," said Ron Kociba, Vortec inline engine chief engineer. "The Vortec 4200 I-6 was the first and the I-5 and I-4 take advantage of much of the same technology to provide the same outstanding benefits to customers."

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.