EcoFLEX
| Company type | Engine series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Opel (General Motors) |
| Headquarters | Germany / Austria / USA / South Korea |
Area served | Worldwide (primarily Europe and USA) |
| Products | Inline-3 and inline-4 piston engines |
| Parent | General Motors (formerly) |
The Family 0 series comprises inline piston engines engineered by Opel, formerly part of General Motors, aimed primarily at entry-level subcompact models from both Opel and Vauxhall.
These powerplants utilize lightweight cast-iron blocks with a semi-closed deck design, paired with aluminum cylinder heads. Their valvetrain is a chain-driven hollowcast DOHC setup, incorporating four valves per cylinder actuated through roller finger followers and hydraulic tappets. The bore spacing measures , and fracture-split connecting rods are employed. Subsequent versions introduced features such as variable length intake manifolds (VLIM) and variable valve timing (VVT).
Initially available as either inline-three or inline-four configurations, the engine family later expanded in its second generation with a four-cylinder option that replaced the 1.4 L Family 1 unit. Manufacturing took place at Opel Wien in Austria, GM Bupyeong in Korea, and Flint in Michigan, USA.
Generation I
Debuting in the 1996 Opel Corsa, the Family 0 marked Opel's inaugural three-cylinder engine offering, which was made available alongside four-cylinder variants.
| Name | Displacement | Configuration | Bore | Stroke | Compression Ratio | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'X10XE' | [convert: invalid number] | I3 | [convert: invalid number] | [convert: invalid number] | 10.1:1 | [convert: invalid number] | [convert: invalid number] at 2800 rpm |
| 'Z10XE' | 58 PS | 85 Nm | |||||
| 'X12XE' | [convert: invalid number] | I4 | 72.6 mm | 10.1:1 | 65 PS at 5600 rpm | 110 Nm at 4000 rpm | |
| 'Z12XE' | 75 PS at 5600 rpm | 110 Nm at 4000 rpm |
Utilizations:
- Opel/Vauxhall Agila (2000–2004)
- Opel/Vauxhall Astra G (1998–2003)
- Opel/Vauxhall Corsa B (1996–2000)
- Opel/Vauxhall Corsa C (2000–2004)
Generation II
Beginning production in November 2002, the second generation of Family 0 engines incorporated enhanced TwinPort technology—featuring dual intake ports where one port is closed by a choke at lower engine speeds to improve air swirl, thereby increasing torque output and fuel efficiency. Additionally, redesigns of the crankshaft and oil channels helped minimize power losses, further optimizing performance.
| Name | Displacement | Configuration | Bore | Stroke | Compression Ratio | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z10XEP | 1.0 L (998 cc) | I3 | 73.4 mm (2.9 in) | 78.6 mm (3.1 in) | 10.5:1 | 44 kW (60 PS) at 5600 rpm | 88 N⋅m (65 lb⋅ft) at 3800 rpm |
| Z12XEP | 1.2 L (1,229 cc) | I4 | 72.6 mm (2.9 in) | 59 kW (80 PS) at 5600 rpm | 110 N⋅m (81 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm | ||
| Z14XEP | 1.4 L (1,364 cc) | 80.6 mm (3.2 in) | 66 kW (90 PS) at 5600 rpm | 125 N⋅m (92 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm |
Applications:
- Opel/Vauxhall Combo C (2003–2010)
- Opel/Vauxhall Corsa C / Holden Barina (XC) (2003–2006)
- Opel/Vauxhall Corsa D (2006–2014)
- Opel/Vauxhall Tigra TwinTop (2004–2009)
- Opel/Vauxhall Astra H (2004–2010)
- Opel/Vauxhall Astra G Classic (2005–2009)
- Opel/Vauxhall Agila (2003–2007)
- Opel/Vauxhall Meriva A (2004–2010)
Generation III
The EcoFlex powerplant represents a refined iteration of the TwinPort design, engineered to enhance fuel efficiency and minimize emissions. Launched initially in 2008 for the 1.4 L variant and later in 2010 for the 1.0 L version, the Generation III engine block incorporated double cam phasing (DCVCP) technology by 2012.
Certain models built on the Opel and US-market Chevrolet Delta II platforms utilize a turbocharged 1.4 L engine equipped with double variable cam phasing (DCVCP), with future developments aimed at integrating gasoline direct injection. Starting in 2011, Opel introduced Start&Stop technology along with a reduced-output 120 PS version; by 2013, the overboost torque capability was elevated to .
| Name | Displacement | Configuration | Bore | Stroke | Compression Ratio | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A10XEP (LDB) | 998 cubic centimetres (60.9 cu in) | I3 | 73.4 millimetres (2.89 in) | 78.6 millimetres (3.09 in) | 10.5:1 | [convert: invalid number] at 5300 rpm | [convert: invalid number] at 4000 rpm |
| A12XEL (LWD) | [convert: invalid number] | I4 | [convert: invalid number] | 10.5:1 | [convert: invalid number] at 5600 rpm | [convert: invalid number] at 4000 rpm | |
| A12XER (LDC) | [convert: invalid number] at 5600 rpm | ||||||
| A14XFL (LUU) | [convert: invalid number] | [convert: invalid number] | [convert: invalid number] at 4800 rpm | [convert: invalid number] at 4800 rpm | |||
| A14XEL (L2Z) | [convert: invalid number] at 6000 rpm | [convert: invalid number] at 4000 rpm | |||||
| A14XER (LDD) | [convert: invalid number] at 6000 rpm | ||||||
| A14XFR (L2N) | |||||||
| A14NEL/B14NEL (LUH) | [convert: invalid number] | [convert: invalid number] | 9.5:1 | [convert: invalid number] at 4800–6000 rpm |
| ||
| A14NET (LUJ) | [convert: invalid number] at 4900–6000 rpm |
| |||||
| U14NFT (LUJ) | |||||||
| U14NFT (LUV) | [convert: invalid number] at 4900 rpm | [convert: invalid number] at 1850 or 2500 rpm | |||||
| B14NEH (LUJ) | 9.5:1 | [convert: invalid number] at 4900-5500 rpm |
|
Deployment:
- 2011–2019 Opel/Vauxhall Corsa
- 2009–2015 Opel/Vauxhall Astra J
- 2010–2017 Opel/Vauxhall Meriva B
- 2011–2019 Opel/Vauxhall Zafira Tourer
- 2011–2015 Chevrolet Cruze
- 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Limited
- 2010–2015 Chevrolet Volt / Opel/Vauxhall Ampera
- 2012–2020 Chevrolet Aveo/Sonic
- 2013–2019 Opel Adam
- 2013–2016 Cadillac ELR
- 2013–present Buick Encore / Opel Mokka
- 2014-present Chevrolet/Holden Trax
- 2017–2019 Vanderhall Venice
- 2016- Roewe e950
- 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spin