| Renault Korea Motors' XM3 E-TECH Hybrid car / Courtesy of Renault Korea Motors |
By Kim Jae-heun
Renault Korea Motors' XM3 E-TECH Hybrid has been selected as Hybrid SUV of the Year by the Automobile Writers' Association of Korea. The model is popular among local consumers for being an electric vehicle-like hybrid.
The XM3 E-TECH Hybrid can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour in normal conditions when it is running on run on 75 percent electrical power, which gives drivers the feeling that they are in a fully electric vehicle (EV).
However, when its full EV mode is activated, the car can drive 100 percent on electricity depending on the remaining battery charge and driving speed. The vehicle is equipped with a "B mode" system, which is installed in all EVs to charge the battery automatically when the driver takes their foot off of the regenerative braking mechanism.
The XM3 E-TECH Hybrid features the driving system that is used in Renault F1 machines. Its dual motor system, consisting of an electric driving motor (36kW/205Nm) and a high voltage starting motor (15kW/50Nm), also functions as power generator. It is combined with a hybrid-optimized 1.6L gasoline engine and clutchless multimode gearbox to enable high energy efficiency as well as dynamic driving performance.
Its energy recovery system (ERS), which complements the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), utilizes the function of Renault F1 machines.
"The popularity of hybrid vehicles in the domestic car market is soaring. The XM3 E-TECH Hybrid with F1 technology is expected to sell well here this year," a Renault Korea Motors' official said.
The hybrid model exerts a maximum system power of 145 horsepower and a maximum torque of 13.9 kilograms per meter. Its combined fuel efficiency is 17.4 kilometers per liter.
The car also boasts ample trunk space of 487 liters and when the second-row seats are folded down, it yields 1,263 liters of space.