Volkswagen will debut cylinder deactivation (cylinder shut-off) technology in the new 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged, direct-injection engine beginning in 2012. Volkswagen will be the first carmaker to implement this technology in a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in large-scale production. The primary goal of the system is to reduce significantly fuel consumption by temporarily shutting off two of the four cylinders (cylinders 2 and 3) during low to mid loads, effectively making it similar to the Fiat 500 TwinAir 2 cylinder engine.

Volkswagen says that cylinder shut-off reduces fuel consumption of the 1.4 TSI by 0.4 liter per 100 km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) driving cycle. When the Stop/Start functionality is integrated, which deactivates the engine in neutral gear, the savings effect adds up to about 0.6 liter per 100 km. The greatest benefits of the technology are realized while driving at constant moderate speeds. At 50 km/h, in third or fourth gear, savings amount to nearly one liter per 100 km. Even when running on two cylinders, the 1.4 TSI