When the 6th gen Camaro was introduced, a great many diehard Chevy muscle car fans were shocked to see a new 4-cylinder engine in the lineup. As expected by some, the 2016 Camaro comes with the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from the Cadillac ATS. This engine seemed like a sure bet with Ford seeing so much success from their new 2.3L EcoBoost Mustang, but the Mustang 4-cylinder is significantly more powerful than the Camaro turbo-4.
The Mustang 4-cylinder offers 310 horsepower and 320lb-ft of torque while the new turbo Camaro offers 275hp and 295lb-ft of torque, so while the Ford 4-cylinder serves as an upgrade in performance over the base V6, the Camaro 4-cylinder is more of a base model, fuel economy engine. This may hurt its popularity in the US, but it should be a very popular option in foreign markets where the V8 models come with big taxes and big fuel costs.
4-Cylinder Camaro for Europe, China
While the relatively low-performance turbocharged 4-cylinder 2016 Chevrolet Camaro might not be as popular in the US as the new EcoBoost Mustang, this engine should have a massive impact on sales in markets outside of North America – most notably Europe and China. The Camaro has long been available in these European and Asian markets, but only with the V8 engine that comes in our Camaro SS. Because of that, the Camaro had a massive price tag that got even bigger in those markets where foreign cars with very large, inefficient engines come with huge tax penalties.
The addition of this new 4-cylinder turbocharged 2016 Camaro in markets around Europe and Asia will make the car more affordable to buy and far more affordable to feed. This way, those overseas buyers with deep pockets and a need for speed can still get the Camaro SS with the new LT1 V8, but those who just want the experience of driving an American muscle car without the big power or big fuel appetite – the turbocharged 4-cylinder Camaro should really boost sales.
Of course, the 2016 turbo-4 Camaro will have to compete with the EcoBoost Mustang in these markets and with the same power ratings that they have in the US – the new Camaro will face the same disadvantages when pitted against the new Mustang that they face in the US. This will make them a tough sell for buyers who are shopping with performance in mind, but the Camaro has the advantage of having been available for years in these markets.
Comments
People buy the 4 cylinder
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People buy the 4 cylinder engine primarily for fuel economy and performance as a secondary factor. The turbo-4 Camaro should get better fuel economy that the turbo-4 Mustang. It will still do 0-60 in well under 6 seconds per GM. That's about as fast as a '67 Corvette 427 with 435 HP. I believe the lighter and more nimble Gen6 turbo-4 Camaro will do extremely well in the US too.
As a European, I don't care
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As a European, I don't care so much about the higher fuel consumption of a big engine, but the taxes are just ridiculous. A new 5.0 Mustang will cost you 27000€ or 30000$ JUST IN TAXES for the first 5 years (here in Belgium). Other countries are even worse. So we need a small-ish low CO2 engine.