Qoros details its petrol and hybrid drivetrains

Chinese/Israeli startup brand Qoros (not to be confused with Kia’s Quoris) has released further details of the production model and hybrid concept car it will roll out at the Geneva motor show in March.

The company, a joint-venture between Chinese car-maker Chery Automobile and Israeli investment giant Israel Corp, announced in January that alongside its first production model, a compact sedan , it will be showing wagon and hybrid concept interpretations off the same platform at Geneva.

At its global launch in China, Qoros will offer its 3 sedan with 1.6-litre naturally aspirated and turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines. The atmo engine is good for a claimed of 93kW, with 155Nm peak torque coming up at 3900rpm. The turbo unit raises power to 115kW, with its peak 210Nm arriving much earlier at 2500rpm.

Both will come with standard six-speed manual transmission with fuel-saving idle-stop and shift advice functions, alongside a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

With EU6 emissions standards set to come into effect in Europe in 2014, the company is also working with Austrian powertrain engineering firm AVL on two new engines designed to comply: a turbocharged 1.2-litre triple and a next-generation 1.6-litre turbo four. These engines will retain the six-speed manual, but the DCT will go to seven speeds.

Alongside the sedan, Qoros will use Geneva to showcase wagon and crossover concepts of the car. The Cross Hybrid compact hatch uses a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain developed in cahoots with Detroit-based electric drive system specialist American Axle.

The hybrid package marries a 97kW 1.2-litre turbo triple with two electric motors. Up front, the engine drives the front wheels while the smaller of the electric motors, mounted between engine and transmission, fulfils several functions.

First, it works as a starter motor. On the move, it powers a generator to top up a 1.9kWh LG lithium-ion battery used to power a rear-mounted 50kW drive motor. When the need arises, it’s also capable of contributing extra torque to the front axle. Although it’s yet to be independently confirmed, Qoros is claiming a 0-100km/h sprint time of “less than seven seconds”.

The ECU has been designed to ensure seamless torque distribution, shifting between petrol/petrol-electric FWD, all-electric RWD and constant AWD according to changes in driver demand and road conditions.

Again, it’s yet to be verified, but the company says the system is good for about 4km of all-electric driving at speeds of up to 120km/h.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…