Renault has just taken the wraps off its new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that has been co-developed by the Alliance and Daimler. This new motor will make its way to the Renault range starting 2018. The new engine is claimed to offer some improvements as it offers better torque at low RPMs along with constant availability in the higher rev range. The engine also promises lesser fuel consumption along with reduced CO2 emissions. This does not mean that the engine will compromise on the driving pleasure at any cost. The new engine block gets manual gearboxes along with dual-clutch automatic transmission systems. These engines are available in different power outputs ranging from 115 hp to 160 hp. The motor receives multiple Alliance developed innovations such as bore spray coating and cylinder coating technology that has been lifted from the Nissan GT-R engine and it helps in improving efficiency by ensuring a reduction in friction and optimisation of heat transfer. The engine also gets dual variable timing camshaft technology which adjusts the intake and exhaust valves according to varying engine loads.
Commenting on the new engine, Philippe Brunet who is the Alliance Global VP at Powertrain & Electric Vehicles division said, “Our new petrol engine embodies all the expertise of Groupe Renault’s engineers, the Alliance and our partner Daimler. It meets the quality standards of both the Alliance and Daimler, with more than 40,000 hours of testing. Compared to the Energy TCe 130, the new Energy TCe 140 delivers 35Nm additional peak torque which is available across a broader rev band, from 1,500rpm to 3,500rpm.”
In other news, Autocar Professional has recently reported that Renault is working on a couple of budget-friendly models for India. Most interesting one is a Kwid-based MPV (Multipurpose vehicle) that the company is currently busy readying. The seven-seater car will come based on the CMF-A+ platform and is said to be in the later stages of development at present.