Technology Boosting Both Fuel Economy
and Horsepower

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
(Photo courtesy of Ford)

With concerns about greenhouse
gases, importing foreign oil and the government’s Corporate Average Fuel
Economy requirement of 54.5 mpg looming, fuel economy is getting unprecedented
attention from automakers and consumers. It may seem surprising, then, that
while fuel economy is rising, so is the horsepower rating of many cars.

Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau noticed this phenomenon last
month at the New York International Auto Show. He noted that alongside hybrid models such as the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid and Subaru
XV Crosstrek Hybrid stood cars like the
500-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and
950-horsepower Ferrari LaFerrari.

Eisenstein credits the rise in
horsepower and fuel economy to “powertrain breakthroughs such as eight- and
nine-speed gearboxes, direct injection and turbocharging.”

One example that shows how
technology is giving us the best of both worlds is the Ford Mustang. The 2010 V6 Mustang has 210 horsepower and achieves an EPA-estimated 16/24 mpg city/highway with an
automatic transmission. The V8-powered GT has 315 horsepower and achieves 17/23
mpg city/highway. The Shelby GT500 has 540 horsepower and gets 14/22 mpg
city/highway. For 2013, horsepower and fuel economy
on all models have increased. The V6 model has 305 horsepower and achieves
19/31 mpg city/highway with an automatic transmission, while the GT has 420
horsepower and gets 18/25 mpg. The GT500 has 662 horsepower and gets 15/24 mpg
city/highway.

2013 Hyundai Sonata (Photo courtesy
of Hyundai)

The technology that is allowing for
more power and better fuel economy isn't just limited to muscle cars, though.
From 2010 to 2013, the base Hyundai Sonata
with an automatic transmission jumped from 175 horsepower and 22/33 mpg city/highway to 198 horsepower and
24/35 mpg. The 2010 V6-powered Sonata
has 249 horsepower and achieves 19/29 mpg city/highway. Hyundai redesigned the Sonata in 2011, and in the
process, dropped the V6 option in favor of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The current Sonata Turbo has 274 horsepower and achieves 22/34 mpg
city/highway.

The BMW
3-Series also follows this trend. The 2010
BMW 335i, with a turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine has 300
horsepower and achieves an EPA-estimated
17/26 mpg city/highway. The 2013 model has the same engine and horsepower, but
with two extra speeds in its automatic transmission, achieves 23/33 mpg
city/highway.

“The good news,” according to
Eisenstein, is that today’s cars are “both faster and more powerful than ever
while still meeting tougher emissions and mileage mandates.” Better fuel
economy, of course, also saves owners money at the pump.

Source: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2013/05/Technology_Boosting_Both_Fuel_Economy_and_Horsepower/