Renault Nissan Alliance has outsourced engineering and development of a new and innovative engine platform to Chennai-based Hinduja Technologies, that can underpin a petrol as well as a diesel powered machine. This is probably the first time a global auto OEM outsources to an Indian engineering firm, the complete engineering and development of a crucial auto component.
Although designing a flexible platform common for petrol and diesel engines is not new though rare, this is the first time it is done indigenously. Even Tata Motors’ petrol and diesel engines of earlier generation shared the same platform, but it was not designed here.
The project is considered a major innovation in the industry, as a common engine platform would save manufacturing cost immensely, given the high number of common parts it will have. Further, it will help dampen the hit taken by auto manufacturers when a market, like India, oscillates between petrol and diesel variants.
With 40 to 50 percent of common components, Renault Nissan can easily respond to the fluctuating ratio in the demand for petrol and diesel engines, without having to worry about inventory pile up.
The 1.0 litre modular Renault Nissan engine project is said to be in an advanced stage of development. Hinduja Technologies has successfully test fired the diesel version of the engine, crossing a key milestone in just 15 to 18 months time. In about 3 to 6 months, the company would start road testing this engine. This prototype is based on a cast iron engine block, which the company is planning to ditch in favour of aluminium. Once the diesel variant is up and running as per standards, development of petrol version would begin, with significantly less lead time.
The Renault Nissan modular engine platform is being developed keeping Nissan’s V-Platform that underpins Micra and Sunny, and also the K2 architecture that forms the basis of Datsun Go and Go+. This engine could power the upcoming Datsun Redi-Go set for launch next year.
Via – Economic Times
