- In 2013, Master will get Renault’s new Energy dCi 100 and Energy dCi 125 engines, which bring substantial improvements in fuel economy (up to 1 litre less fuel per 100 km) and CO2 emissions (up to 26 grams less CO2 per km) . Master today boasts remarkable performance in this respect, at 7.4 litres of fuel per 100 km and 195 grams of CO2 per km1.
- This achievement is the outcome of a two-stage process. Last year, Renault’s powertrain engineers reported that they had brought consumption down by 0.6 l per 100 km1. Then today’s market-leading figures come with the integration of stop-&-start technology along with recovery of braking and deceleration energy.
- The orderbook for mainstream versions2 of New Master Energy dCi 100 and 125 opens today in France. The new models cost €300 (before VAT) more than equivalents with conventional (non stop-&-start) engines, for a typical return on investment of around a year and a half 3.
- With a 13.4% share of the LCV large van market in Europe (28.7% in France) in 2012, Renault Master helps Renault maintain its top ranking on the European LCV market, a position it has held since 1998.
Since its arrival in 2010, Renault Master has been powered by the M9T, an engine specially designed for large vans and made at Renault’s Cléon plant in France.
This 2.3 dCi unit is available in three power versions (100, 125 and 150 bhp). In 2012, design improvements cut fuel consumption by up to 0.6 litres1 per 100 km and CO2 emissions by up to 16 g per km. For a front-wheel drive L2H2 version powered by a euro-5 125 bhp engine, this would mean consumption of 7.8 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of 205 g per km1.
To make these improvements, Renault engineers worked on four main points:
– Heat management technology: the water circuit was adapted to achieve faster engine temperature build-up and thereby improve energy efficiency.
– New oil pump and variable-capacity power steering pump, minimizing the fuel consumption entailed by these devices.
– Low-consumption tyres.
– New, less viscous, gearbox oil.
Then in early 2013, two Renault Master engines integrated two new technologies to earn the Energy label that marks the summit of Renault powertrain excellence. The Energy dCi 100 and Energy dCi 125 units go one step further still in the quest for fuel economy.
– Energy Smart Management, which involves recovery of braking and deceleration energy to ensure the alternator is used only during consumption-optimum phases.
– Stop-&-start, which switches the engine off when the vehicle is at standstill, thereby cutting fuel consumption, CO2 and pollutant emissions. This technology brings maximum benefit under urban driving conditions.
These technologies bring savings of 0.4 litres per 100 km and 10 g of CO2 per km1meaning that the standard 125 bhp L2H2 van emits just 195 g of CO2 per km and consumes just 7.4 litres of fuel per 100 km1
So in less than one year, Renault has cut Master’s fuel consumption by a whole litre per 100 km. This makes for total savings of more than €3,2004 in three years for an L2H2 dCi 125 combi van, or €1,8005 in fuel savings for a 3.5 tonne L2H2 dCi 125 van.
Renault Master holds a 13.4% share of the European LCV large vans market in 2012 (14.6 %end of January 2013), 28.7%3 in France, where Master leads the field. Since the first-generation Master was released in 1980, this large van has always been built at the SOVAB Batilly plant, whose workforce of 2,392 also makes the Opel/Vauxhall Movano and the Nissan NV 400.
1 Fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures certified to applicable regulations
2 Single-wheel, front- and rear-wheel drive (60 LCV van versions and 4 passenger combi versions)
3 Excluding camper van market 4 Combi L1H1 with three-year / 60,000 km profile: €2,756 (including VAT) tax saving (company car tax and environment tax) plus €504 (including VAT) fuel cost saving (0.6 litres per 100 km at €1.4 per litre) 5 3.5 tonne Energy dCi 125 L2H2 van on basis of 150,000 km in four years, and fuel at €1.2 (before VAT) per litre
