2018 New Engines

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Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  July 7, 2017

Almost all of the major diesel engine makers are either rolling out new platforms or making changes to current products across a range of displacements for this year as well as for 2018.  Makeovers include weight reductions and combustion system redesigns, among other improvements, largely to help them meet federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets. Those targets are ostensibly about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, yet in terms of real-world impact, they translate into mandates for lower fuel consumption.

Thus, diesel truck engines not only must generate the same if not more horsepower and torque as before, they must also burn less fuel. That’s no easy feat for engines being tasked with pushing fully loaded pickup trucks through the mud or hauling 80,000 lbs. of freight at highway speeds.

And not all of the new engines in the diesel segment are fully revealed yet, as Ford Motor plans to introduce a new 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel engine  by the end of this year. The engine will be paired with its 10-speed automatic transmission. This platform is earmarked to be the first-ever diesel engine offering for its F-150 pickup family.

This section is by no means fully comprehensive. More changes are in store for the diesel engine landscape as a second round of GHG mandates remains poised to impact trucks and their related components for the 2021 through 2027 model years. These are interesting times for diesel engine designers.

To see all of this year's featured engines, visit our special gallery below:

New Engines photo gallery

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Detroit DD8

The Detroit DD8 medium-duty engine is completely new for 2018 and officially starts production in February of next year. In November 2015, parent company Daimler Trucks North America  (DTNA) made an investment of $375 million  to bring manufacturing of the proprietary DD5 and DD8 medium-duty engines to its facility in Redford, MI.

Aimed at the vocational truck market, the DD8 is a 7.7-liter in-line, 6-cyl. medium-duty platform that offers between 260 and 350 hp. and a torque range of 660 to 1,050 lbs.–ft. It will also be offered with both engine and transmission power-take-off options. The DD8 will initially be available in the Freightliner M2106, 108SD and 114SD models.

The DD8 will eventually be made available for Freightliner Customer Chassis Corp. vehicles by the fourth quarter of 2018 and will also be offered as a rear engine only option for school bus models sold via DTNA’s Thomas Built Buses subsidiary by the end of 2018 as well.

Vehicles equipped with the DD8 will feature the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service to help provide access to in-depth vehicle data to make repairs as accurately and quickly as possible.

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GM Duramax 6.6-liter diesel V8

The newly redesigned duramax 6.6-liter V8 turbocharged diesel, built via a partnership between General Motors and Isuzu, shares only the bore and stroke dimensions from its previous iteration. It now cranks out 445 hp. and a net 910 lbs.-ft. worth of torque, which is 19% more torque compared to the previous Duramax incarnation. The new Duramax is an optional engine selection for Chevrolet and GMC heavy-duty pickups with many new internal component changes built in, i.e., a stronger cylinder block and cylinder heads, a stronger rotating and reciprocating assembly, increased oil- and coolant-flow capacity, a new exhaust gas recirculation system with single cooler and integrated bypass, an all-new solenoid fuel system, all-new electronic controls, a new electrically actuated/electronically controlled turbocharging system, new rocker cover/fuel system acoustical treatments, and B20 biodiesel fuel compatibility.

A patent-pending vehicle air intake system helps drive cool, dry air into the engine for sustained performance and cooler engine temperatures while operating in difficult conditions. A new two-piece oil pan also helps make the new Duramax operate some 38% quieter at idle compared to the previous model. The aluminum section of the  laminated steel oil pan not only provides strength-enhancing rigidity for the engine, but  dampens noise and vibration.

GM said its new venturi jet drain oil separator is the first of its type in the engine segment and helps ensure better oil control in sustained full-load operation. The sealed system collects the fine mist of oil entrained in the blow-by gas and uses a small portion of the boosted air generated by the turbocharger to pump the collected oil back to the engine oil sump for reuse by the engine.

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International A26

A brand new entrant to the diesel truck engine playing field is the International A26, which is built on a MAN D26 engine crankcase supplied to Navistar by Europe’s Volkswagen Truck & Bus unit. This is the first product to develop from an alliance between the two OEMs that began in late 2016.

The A26 produces up to 475 hp. and 1,750 lbs.-ft. of torque from a design that’s 600 to 700 lbs. lighter than a traditional 15-liter big bore engine, Navistar noted. Using a titanium compressor wheel with a simplified single-stage design, the A26 features a variable geometry turbocharger that reduces complexity and enhances reliability. Larger piston pins, connecting rods and bushings help optimize load distribution for enhanced durability;  smaller piston cooling jets increase oil pressure to improve lubrication, increasing oil change service intervals up to 70,000 miles.

Weighing in at 2,299 lbs., the A26 is 55 lbs. lighter than the engine it replaces and helps shed another 200 lbs. of weight in vehicle-mounted components. Its compacted graphite iron crankcase has greater strength and fatigue resistance than traditional gray iron. Composite valve covers and shot-peened aluminum flywheel housing help deliver impressive weight savings over traditional solutions, Navistar noted.

The A26 also sports what the OEM calls a simplified air management system, featuring a new variable geometry turbocharger. Fuel injection pressure is maximized by the engine’s 36,300 psi high pressure common rail fuel system. New cylinder head coolant passages are 50% less restrictive to reduce parasitic loss to the water pump—that helps the A26 reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

The A26’s sculpted crankcase, which is isolated with the oil pan through a specially designed rubber gasket, absorbs vibration and reduces harshness for a quieter in-cab experience. In addition, the engine’s six-blade fan, specially designed gear teeth, and sophisticated calibration and programming are built to reduce engine noise. 

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Paccar MX-13

Paccar’s MX-11 and MX-13 engines received upgrades for this year not only to comply with GHG regulations but to deliver better optimization for the products built by its Kenworth Truck and Peterbilt Motor subsidiaries. The MX-13 engine rating jumped up to 510 hp. and 1,850 lbs.-ft. of torque, and it’s 50 lbs. lighter because of the use of a high-performance turbocharger.

The rating for the MX-11 engine increased to 430 hp. and 1,650 lbs.-ft. of torque.  The MX-11 also gets a new rating for the lower end of its power range: 335 hp. and 1,150 lbs.-ft. of torque. Paccar said a majority of the MX engine line’s ratings will deliver peak torque at 900 rpm, making them a better fit for downspeeding applications.

Other design enhancements to the revamped MX-13 and MX-11 engines include a new single cylinder air compressor, variable displacement oil pump, and variable speed coolant pump. The MX engines also come equipped with a new  single-canister aftertreatment system that reduces overall engine and emission system weight by 100 lbs.

On top of that, oil and fuel filter change intervals for the MX-13 and MX-11 engines will now be extended from 60,000 miles to 75,000 miles. Paccar believes this will save up to $1,000 per truck over 600,000 miles of operation.

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Cummins 2018 X12 engine

Cummins engine is rebranding its longtime “ISX” engine nomenclature to simply the “X” Series, a designation highlighting a completely overhauled line of heavy-duty platforms for 2017 and 2018.

First, Cummins split its new 15-liter X family of engines into two distinct series. The new 15-liter X15 Efficiency Series is tuned to provide maximum fuel economy, delivering 3% better fuel economy versus 2016 equivalent models and an over 10% improvement versus 2010 models. The X15 Efficiency Series is rated at 400 to 500 hp., delivering 1,450 to 1,850 lbs.-ft. of torque. By contrast, the 15-liter X15 Performance Series is focused on providing more power, especially for heavy loads. It’s rated between 485 and 605 hp., delivering 1,650 to 2,050 lbs.-ft. of torque.

Then there’s the new 12-liter X12 medium displacement engine that Cummins will begin building in 2018. The engine weighs in at just 2,050 lbs., cranks out 350 to 475 hp., and delivers 1,250 to 1,700 lbs.-ft. of torque.

Cummins is also offering three telematics services with its new engines: Connected Diagnostics; Connected Calibrations, the OEM’s over-the-air engine calibration service, which will be a standard feature for all X15 electronic control modules; and Connected Tuning, which will allow truck owners to adjust calibration to meet precise operating needs.

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Volvo D11 and D13

Volvo Trucks North America revamped its line of D11 and D13 engines for this year so that they deliver between 2.2% to 6.5% better fuel efficiency compared to their previous iterations. The 11-liter D11 offers up to 425 hp. and 1,550 lbs.-ft. of torque (an increase of 20 hp. from the previous  D11 model) along with a 2.2% increase in fuel economy. Volvo believes the D11 is “ideal” for regional, LTL, and pickup-and-delivery applications.

The revamped 13-liter D13 engine offers a 2.5% fuel efficiency gain versus that of its predecessor while offering 100 lbs.-ft.  of extra torque for its 455-hp. rating, increasing overall torque to 1,850 lbs.-ft.  Both the D11 and D13 feature a new two-piece valve cover, new common-rail fuel system that helps boost fuel savings while quieting the engine, new wave pistons that improve fuel/oxygen mix for cleaner burning, an assembled camshaft that reduces weight by 27 lbs., and shimless rockers.

Other improvements include an updated EGR flow sensor with a new double-wall casing that reduces condensation and soot buildup in cold weather, preventing downtime; a low-pressure fuel system that features an improved aftertreatment dosing module integrated into the fuel filter housing for easier serviceability; upgrades to the 2-speed coolant pump for both engines that improve fuel efficiency as a result of reduced parasitic losses; and a new intake throttle that enables a faster warmup when the engine is started.

Volvo is also introducing a D13 engine equipped with turbo-compounding this year. This adds another 50 hp. to its power curve gained via waste heat recovery, offering a further 3% fuel economy boost versus the “regular” D13 model. The OEM said the D13 with turbo compounding is designed for customers in long-haul applications and can be spec’d with its XE offering, which is the acronym for its “eXceptional Efficiency” downspeeding powertrain package. Through downspeeding, the XE setting allows the engine to cruise at up to 300 rpm less than an average truck, significantly improving fuel efficiency. The D13 with turbo compounding is available on an XE driveline with a 2.47 rear axle ratio, the OEM added.

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Mack MP7 and MP8

Mack Trucks’ 11-liter MP7 and 13-liter MP8 engines [i.e. Volvo Group’s D11 and D13] received a number of advancements for 2017 designed to simplify maintenance and improve efficiency and productivity. Both engines feature an updated wave piston design that raises the compression ratio and enables more complete combustion of fuel, while a common-rail fuel system more precisely injects fuel. Combined with a 2-speed coolant pump, these features help increase MP7 fuel efficiency by up to 5.1% and MP8 fuel efficiency by up to 5%.

The MP7 also gets a new 425-hp. rating, providing what the OEM calls “13-liter power” in an 11-liter engine. A number of additional improvements were made to both engines, including a new two-piece valve cover, shimless rockers, and a low-pressure fuel system with an enhanced, integrated aftertreatment dosing module to reduce maintenance needs. An updated, double-walled EGR flow sensor helps reduce condensation and soot buildup in cold weather, while a new intake throttle enables a faster warmup when the engine is started.

For customers in long-haul applications, Mack is offering its 2017 MP8 engine with a turbo compounding system that is engineered to give customers a no-compromise increase in power and efficiency. Turbo compounding converts waste energy from the exhaust into mechanical energy that is fed back to the engine. The system adds up to 50 additional horsepower, enabling a substantial increase of fuel efficiency of up to 8.8%.

Mack also noted that its MP8 equipped with turbo compounding is available exclusively with its Super Econodyne downspeeding package and that the aforementioned 50 hp. generated by that  system allows the engine to maintain full torque as low as 900 rpm. According to the OEM, this not only enables a broader operating range in top gear, but it also allows a truck to hold top gear longer when overtaking a hill, even with falling engine rpm.

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