GM's New Global Engine

Automotive Industries, May, 1999 by Gerry Kobe

GM gave a sneak preview of its new L850 engine at the New York show, a "corporate" engine that will first be seen in the new Saturn L-Series. The 137-hp L850 is an all-aluminum, dohc, 16-valve 2.2L 4-cylinder with twin balance shafts. It will be built first in Tonawanda, N.Y., at 500,000 per year then later at Opel's Kaiserslauten factory in Germany. Ultimately it will be built in three displacements--1.8L, 2.0L and the 2.2L.

Besides the Saturn cars, it will appear in the Opel Astra this fall. It also will be used in the Opel Vectra, Omega, Sintra and Saabs in turbocharged form. Additionally, the L850 replaces GM's twin-cam 2.4L engine.