Current and future combustion engine development targets a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and emissions to meet strict emission legislation despite steady or increasing customer comfort and performance demands. Additionally, reduced time to market is required despite increasing variations in customer demands and fuel qualities in worldwide markets. To meet these targets, gasoline engines have made progress in efficiency by the introduction of technologies such as direct injection in combination with downsizing and turbo‐ or supercharging, valve train variability, and a variety of additional measures to reduce friction losses such as electrification of accessories. In this article, current and future engine development trends are described and illustrated in detail. Potential future measures to further reduce fuel consumption are pointed out and evaluated. Besides well‐known mega trends such as downsizing and variable valve trains, concepts such as controlled autoignition, variable compression, and new ignition systems are considered. In general, the article shows the potential of new technologies to improve fuel consumption and emission behavior of future combustion engines.