Horse starts production of 1.2-litre engine in Romania

Horse Powertrain Limited, a recently formed powertrain solutions and systems developer, has announced that it has started production of a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine at its plant in Mioveni, Romania.

The new engine is said to be the most powerful produced by the firm, with a maximum output of 129bhp at 4,500rpm, and a peak torque of 230Nm at 1,800rpm. The engine is additionally said to comply with Euro7 emissions regulations. The new engine is already set to be installed in new examples of the Dacia Duster. Horse Romania will produce this engine on-site, including the casting of its cylinder blocks in its aluminium foundry.

More than 75% of the workstations of the Mioveni facility are said to have been modified to facilitate the assembly of this engine. The firm states that it has additionally invested in advanced testing and quality assurance capabilities at the site, which include a helium leak test system, as well as a CT scanner for cylinder blocks, and high-pressure washing and drying machines.

The firm expects to produce 450,000 engines per year.