The Air Bag: The Middle Eastern engine bubble to pop soon?

For many, the Middle East is a place where they can indulge in their automotive fantasies. Compared to elsewhere in the world, fuel is cheap and big V8s are plentiful, so the chance to enjoy big-capacity performance without breaking the bank is one that many take full advantage of. There has long been a culture of performance in the region, and the larger engine options in a new machine are always attractive to punters, both local and expat.

But how long can this many-­cylindered reign continue? The region is in a bubble when it comes to motorists’ priorities, with the rest of the world moving increasingly towards a more fuel-efficient future. Engine sizes are coming down as governments and the societies they serve demand ever more stringent fuel economy and pollutant emission controls.

It’s not just Europe setting these new goals. Fuel costs in the United States have more than doubled over the past 15 years, and there’s more and more demand from customers there to get better mileage for their buck. China, too, one of the world’s largest emerging markets, is making increasingly big requests for pollutant reduction as it seeks to battle poor air quality in its cities. Manufacturers, who are increasingly making products for the global market, have to respond.

All this means that the days of large-capacity engines could be numbered, as companies can no longer justify the development costs needed for new engines just to satisfy the Middle East market.

Peugeot is one such company. The French firm is preparing to launch the refreshed 508 in the region, a car that doesn’t currently attract much business because it can only offer one engine option: a turbocharged 1.6L. There are larger, more powerful engines available in Europe, but they’re all diesel units that comply with various efficiency regulations. And diesel doesn’t fly in the desert, mainly because there are few benefits that it would bring to customers. Countries where diesel is popular become that way usually through government pressures, such as tax or subsidies.

The Peugeot chief engineer, Michel Gombaud, says it doesn’t make business sense to develop a performance petrol engine for such a small market. He firmly believes that small-capacity turbocharged engines, diesel units and hybrids are the way to go.

“The big actors in the automotive industry are going in that direction, as it is a main priority for the Asian, European and Latin American markets,” remarks Gombaud. “There might be demands in the Middle East that don’t correspond, but that’s the reality we’re faced with.”

There’s some hope for fans of cubic inches, though. While America might be tightening its purse strings, it’s been the home of the V8 for decades, which won’t give up its cylinders without a fight. At the recent launch of the new Ford Mustang, the message from the project’s chief engineer, Dave Pericak, is more positive. He believes that the scope for refinement in combustion engines – including the big ones – remains considerable, and that we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. While Ford has brought in a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the Mustang, the familiar 5.0L V8 remains.

“What we’re able to do with engines today that we couldn’t do 10 years ago is mind-blowing,” says Pericak. “There’s a lot more headway on V8s and all of our engines to make them perform at higher levels. We’re going to have a V8 for quite some time in a Mustang and we’ll use technology to allow us to do that. We’ve got a long way to go.”

It’s unclear which view will be the overriding one in years to come – whether the days of big engines really are over, or whether improving tech can continue to squeeze better performance from large units. But one way or another, things are changing. To be on the safe side, enjoy your big engines while you can, as it seems certain that there won’t be as many of them around in the future.

weekend@thenational.ae