Cummins brings two new, rebranded 15-liter engines to market

The X15 Efficiency spec is designed for long-haul applications and is meant to improve fuel economy over Cummins current 15-liter offering.The X15 Efficiency spec is designed for long-haul applications and is meant to improve fuel economy over Cummins current 15-liter offering.

Heavy-duty diesel engine maker Cummins this weekend pulled the curtain back on two new 15-liter engine offerings that will come to market late this year. The 2017 Cummins X15 engines offer two new configurations: The fuel-economy focused X15 Efficiency spec for long-haul applications and the X15 Performance spec for heavy-haul and other more demanding applications.

Cummins says both engines exceed 2017 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards that take effect next year.

The beefier X15 Performance is built for more demanding applications, such as vocational, heavy-haul, hilly terrain and more.The beefier X15 Performance is built for more demanding applications, such as vocational, heavy-haul, hilly terrain and more.

The engine maker also unveiled a leaner X12, which will come to market in 2018. The company also announced a rebranding of its heavy-duty engines, dropping the “ISX” branding in favor of the new “X” nomenclature.

While the ISX platform has only one 15-liter starting option, the X series offers two: The fuel-sipping X15 Efficiency Series geared toward line-haul and regional markets, and the X15 Performance Series, built specifically for heavy-haul, vocational and other demanding applications.

Cummins made several hardware changes to improve performance on the X15 Performance engine, including a high-flow EGR cooler and piston cooling nozzles and exhaust valves to improve reliability. The X15 Performance Series boasts from 485 to 605 horsepower, torque ratings from up to 2,050 lb-ft, and as much as 600 braking horsepower.

The X15 Efficiency Series ranges from 400 to 500 horsepower and 1,450 to 1,850 lb-ft of torque, and 400 braking horsepower at 1,300 rpm. In addition, Cummins has added predictive cruise control to its ADEPT suite of connected vehicle technology.