Hyundai Motor has followed sister company Kia Motors by announcing its first model with a 48V diesel mild hybrid powertrain.
Kia said a couple of weeks ago its new Sportage, to be launched later this year in Europe, would be the brand’s first with a new ‘EcoDynamics+’ 48V diesel mild hybrid powertrain.
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Forecast volume of 48V mild-hybrids fitted to newly-assembled passenger cars and light vehicles in Korea, 2021
Sharing such technology across the Hyundai Motor Group gives both brands improved economies of scale.
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By GlobalDataHyundai said its updated compact Tucson SUV would be launched across Europe “in the summer”. The mild hybrid powertrain technology contributes to the brand’s global efforts to improve fuel efficiency which would be enhanced by up to 7%. It added the technology would be available with new Smart Stream 1.6-litre diesel engines in future.
In addition to the new powertrain portfolio, all Tucson engines now meet new Euro 6d Temp emission standards. The SUV also gets a mid-life styling update and a wider range of advanced technology and convenience features.
It was the best-selling Hyundai in Europe in 2016 and 2017 and is a common sight on local roads.
“With our new mild hybrid powertrain system for our best-selling model, we are further expanding the company’s electrification strategy to make clean technologies accessible for even more customers,” said Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, head of marketing and product at Hyundai Motor Europe.
“It will be available in combination with more engines in the future, as part of our highly diverse mix of electrified solutions.”
The 48V mild hybrid powertrain initially is combined with the two-litre diesel engine. The technology designed for electrification comprises a 0.44 kW/h 48-volt lithium-ion battery, a Mild Hybrid Starter Generator (MHSG), a LDC converter (Low Voltage DC/DC) and an inverter.
Under acceleration, the MHSG supports the engine with up to 12kW of power, reducing fuel consumption. The system switches automatically between mechanical use of the engine and energy recuperation. The MHSG assists the combustion engine by discharging the battery to reduce engine load with light acceleration or to provide additional torque to the engine under strong acceleration.
During in-gear deceleration and braking, energy is recuperated to recharge the battery. In this way, the system significantly improves the engine’s fuel economy and CO2 emissions without sacrificing maximum driving pleasure, Hyundai claimed.
“Thanks to the new electrification system, customers will benefit from a good trade-off between purchase cost and reduced costs related to fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,” it added.
Hyundai aims to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 7% combined with the manual transmission in NEDC conversion.
The two-litre diesel engine is the most powerful of the new Tucson powertrains with output of 137kW/186PS. It comes with four-wheel drive and can be paired with the standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional, newly developed eight-speed automatic.
By spring 2019, the 48 V mild hybrid technology will also be available with the coming new Smart Stream 1.6-litre diesel engine in the Tucson.
Learn more about the Tucson using just-auto’s PLDB (subscription required)
