Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Nissan reveals new 2 5L Supercharged Hybrid Engine
In Japan today Nissan released new details about a replacement for their 3.5L V6 currently found in upper trim Nissan Altimas. Instead of going the path many automakers have taken of updating the current engine with Gasoline Direct Injection, Variable Cam timing, or adding a turbo Nissan has created a completely new engine.
This engine now has 4 cylinders, a displacement of 2.5L, a small electric motor and compact lithium-ion battery pack, AND a twin screw supercharger. Nissan engineers are claiming that this will allow the engine to produce power comparable to the 3.5L 260 horsepower and 250 pound-feet engine.
Nissan engineers are also making the claim that the power and torque curves of this engine have been made to mimic that of the larger V6 it is replacing.
Power will be transfered to the rear wheels with Nissans latest generation CVT transmission that has not debuted yet. All of this combined Nissan engineers say to expect similar performance to the V6 while achieving "10-percent better fuel economy."
My Take:
This new engine seems to be another waste of hybrid technology. Customers who opt for a V6 in a family sedan are typically not looking for efficiency but because they want a powerful sedan. This is why I believe that the supercharger makes perfect sense for the Altima. An increase in 10-percent is very marginal when you consider the current 3.5L has an EPA rating of 20 city/27 highway miles per gallon. I think Nissan missed the point for this segment. In one fell swoop Nissan has alienated V6 customers and hybrid customers simultaneously.
[Source: Auto Blog]
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