In the last few years, we have seen many vehicles dropping diesel, and taking on electrified petrol powertrain. The company has recently revealed the details of the vehicle that will be unveiled later this year.
The SUV joins a rather long list of vehicles that have dropped diesel completely. It will come with either a mild-hybrid four-cylinder turbocharged engine or the new ePower hybrid system, which will be making its debut in Europe.
The updated 1.2-litre turbo engine is the first and rather traditional offering, which you will find in many current vehicles from the company as well as Mercedes and Renault models. The 12V mild-hybrid system will be featured in all the versions, as it is more affordable than a 48V set-up. It will be mated to a small lithium-ion battery, which will provide torque assist and improve the stop-start functionality.
The mild-hybrid system adds 22kg to the powertrain weight, and it provides improved fuel economy and a 4g/km reduction in CO2 emissions, as claimed by the firm. The homologation figures have not been provided yet.
The engine will be offered in two forms, 136bhp and 152bhp, the later will come with an all-wheel-drive system, which will be more intuitive and intelligent. The system will feature five driving modes, and it will be capable to shift power to the rear wheels five times quicker as compared to the previous system.
Either a CVT automatic or a six-speed manual transmission will be offered. In the last few years, the company has gone from CVT to dual-clutch and back to CVT, but it says the new transmission is more efficient and responsive.
The system is not a plug-in, but as the engine is not connected directly to the wheels, it differs from the parallel hybrids. It charges a battery, which powers the electric motor, which drives the wheels.
The system has already been sold in Japan, where it has proved to be very successful, as it turned the Note supermini into the biggest seller.