Nissan develops new 4-cylinder engine series and new CVT

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2004

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has developed two new 4-cylinder gasoline engines and a new continuously variable transmission (CVT). The new hardware units will be successively adopted on various small passenger cars, beginning with a new model scheduled for release in Japan this autumn. The two newly developed engines, the 1.5L HR15DE and the 2.0L MR20DE, are both inline 4-cylinder units, jointly developed by Nissan and Renault for use in both companies' passenger cars.

Application of the HR15DE engine will begin with Nissan's all-new Tiida model, which will go on sale in Japan this autumn, while the MR20DE engine will first be applied to a new minivan scheduled for release later this year. Both engines incorporate a host of new shared technologies and are designed to provide excellent fuel economy combined with improved acceleration under the conditions most commonly encountered in everyday driving.

The newly developed CVT further enhances the benefits that characterize this type of transmission, including excellent fuel economy, smooth power delivery without any shift shock and outstanding acceleration performance. In particular, shift response has been improved by tuning the hydraulic and electronic controls. The shift response improvement combined with a wider gear ratio range contributes significantly to the acceleration and fuel economy under ordinary driving conditions.