Photo: Carpix
Renault is only a few months away from releasing a new entry point to its Renault Sport line-up. Even though this may have seemed impossible a few years ago, the title will go to the Sandero RS and we've now talked to a Dacia insider about the warm hatch's power.
While we initially expected the Sandero RS to be powered by a 1.2 TCe turbocharged powertrain that would score many points in the emission area and follow the general downsizing trend, the car will actually use a 2-liter naturally aspirated powerplant.
Renault Sport has worked on units from the F4R family in the past and is expected to massage the unit up to 160 horses for the budget warm hatch. As we've seen in the spy photos, a sport button, which will be badged RS, will allow the driver to change between two throttle and engine mapping settings.
The unit will be matted to a six-speed manual and with such a Sandero tipping the scales at under 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs), the performance should be smile-inducing. The RS-treated Sandero will ride on 17-inch wheels and featured brakes borrowed from larger models in the Renault line-up.
With its microscopic price, the Dacia Sandero, which has entered its second generation in 2012, has taken the world by storm and when we saw the first spyshots of a Sandero RS earlier this year, we couldn't believe our eyes. Still, Renault isn't expected to sell the pumped-up Sandero under its Romanian budget brand that sparked the car.
Thus, the Sandero RS will land on markets such as Brazil and Russia. Given the first's appetite for Ethanol, we're expecting the Renault Sandero RS to follow this path.
The RS badge means Renault will have to also sprinkle some magic design dust over the warm hatch's exterior and interior, which means this will be one affordable little pleasure box.
The Sandero RS is set to debut in the second half of the current year, so you'd better prepare your piggy bank.
After numerous rumors, we've discussed with a Dacia insider, who has confirmed for autoevolution the Sandero RS will be animated by a two-liter NA engine.
We can only think about a unit from the Renault F4R family. The Renault Duster is currently powered by such a unit, which delivers 135 hp and 148 Nm (109 lb-ft) of torque or 141 hp and 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) of torque in its Ethanol-capable version.Renault Sport has worked on units from the F4R family in the past and is expected to massage the unit up to 160 horses for the budget warm hatch. As we've seen in the spy photos, a sport button, which will be badged RS, will allow the driver to change between two throttle and engine mapping settings.
The unit will be matted to a six-speed manual and with such a Sandero tipping the scales at under 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs), the performance should be smile-inducing. The RS-treated Sandero will ride on 17-inch wheels and featured brakes borrowed from larger models in the Renault line-up.
A complete technical package
As for the handling, this is where the true Renault Sport magic will come into play - these engineers have shown they can build a car that's both sporty and relatively comfortable without having to turn to cost-hurting adaptive dampers in order to do so.With its microscopic price, the Dacia Sandero, which has entered its second generation in 2012, has taken the world by storm and when we saw the first spyshots of a Sandero RS earlier this year, we couldn't believe our eyes. Still, Renault isn't expected to sell the pumped-up Sandero under its Romanian budget brand that sparked the car.
Not for everybody
Instead, Renault is expected to place its own badge on the Sandero RS. Not willing to risk cannibalization with its warm GT models, the French carmaker will avoid most, if not all European markets.Thus, the Sandero RS will land on markets such as Brazil and Russia. Given the first's appetite for Ethanol, we're expecting the Renault Sandero RS to follow this path.
The RS badge means Renault will have to also sprinkle some magic design dust over the warm hatch's exterior and interior, which means this will be one affordable little pleasure box.
The Sandero RS is set to debut in the second half of the current year, so you'd better prepare your piggy bank.
Google News