The Stellantis group is returning to non-rechargeable hybrid technology thanks to a new e-DCS6 dual-clutch gearbox assembled in France (near Metz) incorporating a small 28 hp (21 kW) electric motor. If this power may seem modest, it makes it possible to be satisfied with a battery operating at a voltage of only 48V. This feature limits the additional cost of this new 1.2 Hybrid 136 version to around 1,500 euros compared to the 1.2 Puretech 130 fitted with the Aisin 8-speed automatic transmission with torque converter.
However, compared to the latter, the official reduction in consumption authorized by this hybridization is approximately 1 liter per 100 kilometers, which makes it possible to lower CO2 emissions by around twenty grams per kilometer, and therefore the value of its penalty from 858 to 1,379 euros depending on the version considered. As a result, the real cost of this technology ultimately only comes back to the customer at a few hundred euros, which is an excellent deal for motorists driving mainly in urban areas. Indeed, if, as with all hybrid systems, this technology is of little interest on the highway, it is however particularly efficient in the city where the reduction in consumption can reach 2.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
And the system is quite convincing in use, behaving like a true full hybrid, with an electric motor capable, despite its modest power, of propelling the heavy 3008 alone, for example during soft starts, but also at reasonable speed. and stabilized. And the restarts of the 3-cylinder remain almost imperceptible thanks to a dedicated electric starter also operating at 48V. On the other hand, the architecture of this hybrid technology shows its limits in heat waves. Indeed, for cost reasons, the air conditioning compressor is not electric, but still driven by the heat engine. As a result, to reach the temperature required by the occupants, the 3-cylinder is necessarily used more frequently than it would be in temperate weather. Good to know. If it is at the end of its career, the current 3008 demonstrates in passing that it has beautiful remains with a comfort / behavior compromise that remains among the best in the segment. The price of this new Hybrid 136 version starts at 38,370 euros. Attractive on the 3008, the e-DCS6 hybrid gearbox should logically be even more attractive on lighter cars that its electric motor will find it easier to move. This is true for the compact 308, and even more so for the city car 208, both expected by the end of the year.
