Renault Kwid's 1.0L engine for Datsun Go?

The shift would result in significant cost savings.The Datsun Go budget hatchback is likely to adopt the new 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine which will debut in the Renault Kwid later this year.

Currently, the Go is powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine derived from the Nissan Micra. The unit uses expensive imported components.

The 1.2-litre has a lot of imported components whereas the Kwid’s upcoming 1.0L motor will be fully localized.Given that the kerb weight of the Go is less than 800 kg, the 68 PS 1.2-litre motor proved to be a zippy performer. However, considering that the car caters to a price sensitive segment where acquisition and running costs are prioritized over real world performance, Datsun could do with a cheaper powertrain solution.

That’s where the new 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine comes into picture. Autocar India reports that Datsun may likely adapt this motor for the Go to drive the costs further down. The motor is engineered based on a low-cost design and sources 99% of its components from India, making it highly cost effective compared to the existing 1.2-litre unit.

The new 1.0-litre motor is estimated to produce around 65 PS which is good enough for the Go. Datsun could even uprate the motor’s torque to suit the bigger hatchback.The existing 1.2-litre unit is essentially a detuned version of Micra’s motor.

The shift to the smaller and cheaper power unit with a nominal compromise on performance seems to be a sensible way to go forward for the Datsun Go but it remains to be seen if the company will indeed do so.

This article has first appeared in Rushlane.com