Cummins has announced the ISV5.0, a new 5-liter V8 diesel engine designed to power pickup-and-delivery vehicles, stepvans, other light- and medium-duty trucks, school buses, and motorhomes. Development of the engine, which won't reach production for about a year, actually began more than a decade ago and was launched at the time with the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
It was originally conceived for pickup truck use, and in fact a version of the ISV5.0 -- called the Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel -- was introduced this past summer for the next-generation Nissan Titan. So far, Nissan hasn't announced a launch date.
The Indiana engine company has been busy of late, having also announced in September a new global heavy-duty engine platform, the new G Series. An in-line six, it will be available in 10.5- and 11.8-liter displacements to meet a broad variety of on-highway and off-highway applications and both European and North American emissions standards. The G Series will initially be manufactured in China by the Beijing Foton Cummins Engine joint venture, serving customers around the world. Production will start during the first half of 2014, for non-North American markets only -- so far.
Design and development of the engine has been led by a small team in the U.S., supported by global technical and marketing resources with knowledge of local market and customer needs.
For on-highway markets the G Series diesel engines will be introduced, somewhat confusingly, as the Cummins ISG11 and Cummins ISG12. Not to be mistaken for the ISL G and ISX12 G Cummins Westport natural-gas engines available here and now.
The ISV5.0 is compact, light, and fuel-efficient, the company says, and is intended as an alternative to gasoline or other small-displacement automotive diesel engines. It's been designed to fit easily where a comparable V8 or V10 gasoline engine would otherwise be installed. Multiple front accessory-drive options handle the common automotive accessories like alternators, compressors, and pumps. The idea is to minimize OEM engineering time and vehicle retooling costs.
The ISV5.0 sports two important firsts for Cummins: a compacted-graphite-iron (CGI) cylinder block and aluminum-alloy heads, along with a forged-steel crankshaft and chain-driven dual overhead camshafts. These contribute to low noise and harshness, raising driver comfort levels, a design goal.
Fuel management features high injection pressures from the latest Bosch high-pressure common-rail (HPCR) fuel system and piezo fuel injectors that provide precise control for optimized combustion, leading to better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. That fuel system, along with a Cummins VGT (variable-geometry turbocharger), contributes to a peak torque rating of 560 lb ft and quick throttle response. Ratings from 200 to 275 hp will be available. That turbo, incidentally, is a scaled-down version of the one found in Cummins heavy-duty engines.
In cold weather, the engine's advanced ceramic glow plug system is said to reduce start time and electrical current draw significantly, reducing charging-system requirements. The ceramic glow plugs are designed to last the life of the engine, with no maintenance.
The new ISV5.0 will be certified to the near-zero NOx and PM emissions levels required by U.S. and Canadian authorities. At launch, it will also meet greenhouse gas requirements through 2016 and 2015 Air Resources Board standards, including on-board diagnostics.
The ISV5.0, along with the 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel for pickup trucks, will be manufactured at the Columbus Engine Plant here.
