Renault world car will feature DCT next year
Four-door sedan versions of Renault's big-selling Mégane will be offered with a dual clutch transmission from the end of 2010, according to the company.
Known as the Fluence, the new sedan takes over from the outgoing-generation Mégane four-door as the mid-range sedan targeted at Mediterranean markets and eastern Europe and Russia, where the conventional three-box profile with a separate trunk is preferred to the hatchback configuration favored in western Europe.
With a wheelbase of 2702 mm and an overall length of 4620mm the Fluence is larger than both hatchback versions of the Mégane as well as the Scenic minivan built on the same architecture.
Three different automatic transmissions will be available on the Fluence, says Renault. Gasoline versions with the 1.6 liter engine will offer either manual or planetary automatic shifting; 2.0 liter versions will use the Jatco-sourced CVT system already seen on other models in the third-generation Mégane range. Of the five diesel versions, all using the 1.5 liter four cylinder powerplant, only the most powerful – the 110hp variant - will be available with the DCT automatic.
All diesel-engined Fluence models, including the DCT automatic, will return CO2 emissions of below 119 grams per kilometer, says the company.
This compares well with automatic versions of other medium-sized diesel sedans. The Volkswagen Jetta with the 7-speed dry-clutch DSG emits 139 grams, while the equivalent Mercedes A-Class, with CVT, is rated at 142 grams. In many European markets these CO2-emission differences can equate to substantial savings on annual vehicle taxation costs.
Renault has not yet officially revealed the supplier of the new dual clutch transmission, but in a presentation made by Getrag at the Frankfurt auto show in September a Renault Mégane was pictured alongside the supplier's second-generation DCT – the 6DCT250. This is Getrag's newest product and offers efficiency advantages over first-generation units thanks to the use of dry clutches and electrical (rather than hydraulic) actuation of gearshifts.The Turkish-built Fluence shares its architecture with the rest of the recently-introduced third-generation Mégane range, and at the Frankfurt show Renault confirmed that during the course of 2010 it would introduce the DCT transmission in parallel across the complete line-up of Mégane hatchbacks, coupés, station wagons and minivans using the 110 hp 1.5 liter diesel engine.
The Fluence will also become Renault’s first mainstream electric vehicle when it adopts the shared Renault-Nissan Alliance battery technology platform in 2011.
Story Filed: 9/24/2009
By Tony Lewin, managing editor DCTfacts.com