Renault’s Next SUV Could Be Powered By A Turbo Petrol Engine

• The upcoming turbo-petrol engine is from Nissan’s HR10 range.
• It will be sold alongside the naturally aspirated BR10 petrol engine.
• It is expected to be BS6 compliant; could be offered with an AMT as well.
• The turbo-petrol HBC sub-4 metre SUV is likely to be unveiled in mid-2020.

A recent news report suggests that Renault will introduce a new engine in India. The turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine belongs to the HR10 family of Nissan engines that’s shared by the two companies. It will power the upcoming HBC sub-4 metre SUV and is also likely to be offered on the Triber MPV. Renault is expected to unveil the engine in India sometime in 2020. 

The new HR10 engine could be derived from the HR13 4-cylinder engine. The all-aluminium engine will have variable valve timing and direct injection. Reported to make close to 96PS, the engine is likely to be the drivetrain of choice for most Renault-Nissan vehicles in India once BS6 norms come into effect. 

Currently, the Triber MPV comes with the Renault-Nissan BR10 engine, a naturally aspirated 3-cylinder petrol unit. It makes 72PS of power and 96Nm of torque in its current state of tune. We expect Renault to update the BR10 engine to BS6 compliance soon. Since Renault expects demand for diesel engines to drop after the BS6 deadline, neither the HBC nor the Triber are likely to get an oil-burning variant. 

Like the Triber, the upcoming HBC SUV will be underpinned by Renault’s CMF-A platform. It is likely to be similar in size to the Triber MPV. Given that the Triber could get an AMT option soon, an automatic could be offered on the HBC as well. Prices are likely to be higher than the Triber’s Rs 4.95 lakh to Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Meanwhile, the Triber’s prices are expected to go up even before the new turbo engine is introduced. The company announced that it will soon update the current engine to BS6 compliance and add an AMT option. We think the new updates will add Rs 50,000 to the Triber’s ex-showroom price tag. 

Expect the new engine to be unveiled in 2020, possibly in the HBC SUV. Renault is likely to offer the turbo-petrol as an option in the Triber later. The turbo-petrol engine is likely to power a number of future Renaults and Nissans. It might even be the engine of choice when Nissan and Renault update their existing model lineup for the upcoming emission norms.

Source: Autocar India