Automotive partnerships come in many forms. In the case of Renault and Mercedes, we see that partnership come to life in the form of a newly developed 1.3-liter gasoline engine. The new engine is expected to debut in the Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs before other Renault models get their turn with it sometime in 2018.

The new four-cylinder engine comes to life just in time for both automakers. Renault is getting the first crack at it since the engine is going to debut in the Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs. There is a chance too that Mercedes will also make use of the engine at some point in the future. It did play a hand in developing it, and its capabilities are in sync with what the German automaker plans to offer with its new A-Class.

Speaking of its capabilities, the engine, called Energy TCe, will come in three different configurations. The base unit is called the Energy TCe 115, and it has 115 horsepower and around 162 pound-feet of torque. Move up the ranks, and we get the Energy TCe 160. As the number implies, this version has an output of 160 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque when hooked up to a manual transmission. The range-topping version of this engine unit is called the EDC. It still has the same horsepower output as the TCe 160, but it does get an extra eight pound-feet in torque that brings its total up to 200 pound-feet.

As much as Renault and Mercedes worked on this engine, the former’s connection with Nissan also played a role in the engine’s development. According to Renault, the cylinder coating technology used on the three-in-one TCe engine was first used on the Nissan GT-R. Apparently, this tech helps boost the engine’s efficiency by cutting down friction within the mill. On top of that, the four-cylinder engine also features Dual Variable Timing Camshaft, a system that helps improve the car’s low-end torque capabilities.

References

Renault Scenic

Read our full review on the 2017 Renault Grand Scenic.

Read our full review on the 2017 Renault Scenic.