1st NSE - Sure don't look like no K-Series

First NSE off the Production lines being fired on the test bench for the first time



Hand assembled on the new production lines being installed at Nanjing Pukou, this engine was the first of the NSE (New Small Engine) to be successfully test fired on May 12th 2009 at the SMTC (SAIC Motor Technical Centre) in Nanjing.

As indicated by the name, NSE1.5VCT, it is a 1.5 Litre version with a Variable Cam Timing system.

Although there are many stories of a series of engines including 1.4,1.5 and 1.6. SAIC management have recently confirmed that the production engine will be a 1.5, including a 1.5 Turbo version, with 1.4 and 1.6 versions not being either necessary or in the plans.

Production lines for the engine are due to be completed this summer with production officialy starting on January 30th 2010. The engines will be used for the new A Class platform cars in both MG and Roewe versions with production starting at the Nanjing Pukou Factory on February 28th 2010 with the production version of the Roewe N1 concept car. It will be sharing the production lines with the MG3 and MG7.

It looks quite short from that angle. It is a 4cy engine isn't it? Almost looks like it could be 3 cy.

ZTsteve wrote:It looks quite short from that angle. It is a 4cy engine isn't it? Almost looks like it could be 3 cy.

I can't remember anyone knowlegable saying that it has 4 cylinders.

Everyone knows that a 6 cylinder uses more fuel than a 4 and an 8 uses even more, for fuel economy a 3 makes more sense than a 4. The Toyota 3 cylinder petrol engine is both award wining and drives the worlds most fuel efficient production cars! http://www.ukipme.com/engineoftheyear/winners_07/sub1.html

However 1.5L is a bit big for a 3 cylinder, unless there is something very clever in there then I am expecting a fairly conventional straight 4 with a conventional dual cam phasing system.

That oxygen sensor is supprisingly close to the exhaust ports for a 4 though...

Although there are many stories of a series of engines including 1.4,1.5 and 1.6. SAIC management have recently confirmed that the production engine will be a 1.5, including a 1.5 Turbo version, with 1.4 and 1.6 versions not being either necessary or in the plans.

Does this mean that this engine is only going to be a 1.5, not a 1.4 or a 1.6? It would explain some recent confusion, I think...

patpending wrote:Does this mean that this engine is only going to be a 1.5, not a 1.4 or a 1.6? It would explain some recent confusion, I think...

I think the original plan was for 1.4 and 1.6, as Rover used to have, but the engines will be cheaper if they are all the same so they will just make the 1.5. The turbo version has more than enough power for all the A class cars anyway.

We might expect a smaller version at some point, maybe 1.1 but there doesn't appear to be anything happening on that at present.

1.5 only to start with has been confirmed to the press by two SAIC top managers.

They will in effect have two different engine sizes anyway, without having two different capacities. The 1.5 will be available with and without turbo.

I'm wondering what will happen to the 1.8 if the stories of the 1.5Turbo having more power than the 1.8Turbo are true

Maybe the 1.8 non turbo would still make sense but it would probably be less fuel efficent than the 1.5Turbo, is the wrong side of the 1.6 environmental tax threshold, is probably more expensive, heavier and definitely less powerful! If you were after an insurance frendly engine then you would go for the 1.5 non turbo.

It has a lot of similarities with the Petronas E01, which as we will all recall NAC purchased the rights to develop right after they purchased MG Rover's assets.

That might explain the reported how outputs of this engine, considering the E01 (planned as 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 4 pot) was 203ps in 2 litre form.

Might this NSE be a commercialised 1.5 litre version of the E01?

PatrickT wrote:It has a lot of similarities with the Petronas E01, which as we will all recall NAC purchased the rights to develop right after they purchased MG Rover's assets.

That might explain the reported how outputs of this engine, considering the E01 (planned as 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 4 pot) was 203ps in 2 litre form.

Might this NSE be a commercialised 1.5 litre version of the E01?

I did compare pictures of the two engines side by side and I couldn't actually see any definite similarity other than a lack of any plastic on either. Although even then, the E01 was Aluminium alloy and I suspect the NSE may actually be very lightweight magnesium alloy.

I assume all the reported outputs of this engine are for the turbo version. The E01 was never designed as a turbo and much of its advanced design will not be much use for a turbo engine. Also, I believe the design is basically a SAIC design rather than a Nanjing one which has now been passed to Nanjing for production (Something SAIC struggled with on their 1.8T!)

However the designers where presumably already familiar with the E01 from the time that Mg-Rover were considering a tie up with Petronas so there are bound to be some lessons learned from it. It would be nice to see a real sports car, non-turbo engine based on the E01 but with all the incentives to small displacements, a sports car engine probably has to resort to a turbo these days!


There is still very little information available on this engine, and a lot to learn...

P.S. Welcome to the site Patrick