Suzuki reveals new 300hp DF300B twin-prop outboard engine
All-new Suzuki heavy lifter features a larger V6 and contra-rotating props, but don’t reach for the wallet just yet
Suzuki has launched an all-new 300 horsepower version of its contra-rotating propellor outboard engine called the DF300B.
However, few details about the engine have been revealed ahead of its official global launch later this year.
“[The] DF300B is a large-sized outboard motor which was developed to meet the needs of customers who wish to have the same advanced technologies of Suzuki’s flagship DF350A outboard installed on a 300-horsepower class outboard,” Suzuki marine said in a release announcing the new high-tech outboard engine.
“By combining high-efficiency contra-rotating propellers called the Suzuki Dual Prop System and a compact two-stage gear reduction, it was able to realise high propulsion power which enabled it to be installed onto a heavy boat as a result of a large reduction gear ratio.
“With the use of regular petrol as its fuel, it can be offered to customers in more countries and regions, as well as a wider range of usage from business to leisure.”
Regular fuel diet
The new outboard engine is a tightly packaged 4390cc V6 producing up to 300hp on “regular” 91RON-rated petrol”, the engine maker says. It will be built in Japan at Suzuki’s Kosai plant and will launch globally late this year.
It appears to be a detuned version of the flagship 350hp Suzuki DF350A high-performance outboard engine launched in 2017.
“The DF300B is the latest addition to our GEKI series of dual-propeller outboards and reinforces Suzuki’s position at the forefront of the large horsepower outboard market," Suzuki Marine spokesman Daisuke Kawatari said.
"We are confident that the DF300B will be a popular model ... and that it will make the benefits of the dual-propeller technology available to a new range of boats and customers.”
The engine uses a two-stage reduction system that drops the gear ratio in between the crankshaft and the driveshaft, and again within the gear case. Suzuki claims this helps the DF300B outboard engine provide “powerful propulsion by rotating large-diameter propellers that have high thrust efficiency”.
Suzuki Marine Australia said the DF300B outboard engine had not yet been locked in for Australia, so availability and pricing were yet to be decided.
The new outboard engine is a big advance on the single-prop Suzuki DF300AP, which uses a smaller 4028cc V6 block to produce its 300hp. However, the DF300AP’s minimum rated fuel is more expensive 95RON unleaded.
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