Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Mercedes Introduce New 1.3-litre Turbo Petrol

New turbocharged petrol engine will be used in a variety of cars from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in all likelihood, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz A Class as well

The Franco-Japanese Alliance, which acquired a controlling stake in Mitsubishi in 2016, has unveiled a brand new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which it jointly developed with Daimler, the owners of Mercedes-Benz. 

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The new engine is offered in three states of tune and will be available in a couple of Renault models for now. From 2018, it will be introduced in a variety of cars from Renault. Further, it is expected that cars from alliance partners – Nissan and Mitsubishi – will also use the new motor in the future. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, is likely to include the new motor in the upcoming A Class. 

The new 1.3-litre engine will inevitably step in the shoes of the old 1.2-litre TCe, whic is over a decade old. Renault says that the new engine offers ‘significant improvement in driving pleasure, with better torque at low rpm and greater and constant availability at high rpm, while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.’ 

Compared to the 1.2-litre TCe 130 (130PS/205Nm), the new 1.3-litre TCe 140 puts out an additional 10PS of power along with a healthy 35Nm bump in torque, that too at a significantly lower rev range of 1600rpm as opposed to 2000rpm of the older motor. The Renault/Dacia Duster in Europe uses this 1.2-litre motor (TCe 125) in a slightly lower state of tune –  5PS drop compared to the TCe 130 with a similar torque output.

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Despite being tax-friendly, the 1.2-litre TCe never made it to India. As of now, there’s no clarity on whether the new 1.3-litre motor could be introduced in a Renault or Nissan vehicle sold in our country.