After assessing 11 compact sedans equipped with six key features and factoring in five years of fuel costs, the Sentra sits atop the Cars.com list with $730 separating it from the next most affordable car on the list.

According to the editors at Cars.com, the Sentra bested its closest competitors thanks to its segment-leading fuel costs.

Each vehicle included in the comparison was evaluated with the following features sought by consumers: automatic transmission, cruise control, USB input, remote entry, tilt steering, and steering-wheel audio controls.

To get this combination in the 2013 Sentra, Cars.com tested the SV trim level, with the addition of the Driver Package.

“Pairing value and best-in-class fuel efficiency with style and comfort, the all-new Nissan Sentra truly stepped up its compact car game in 2013,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. “Sentra is a solid offering in Nissan’s most innovative, highest-quality, highest-value sedan lineup ever, and we are excited to see it on top of this year’s Cars.com ‘Most Affordable Compact Sedan’ list.”

The Sentra can count on several changes contributing to the increased fuel savings. The 2013 Sentra is 150 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, yet has slightly larger overall dimensions and more interior room.

The lighter and more aerodynamic Sentra also uses a more fuel-efficient 1.8-liter engine, which along with its second generation Xtronic CVT with sub-planetary gear helps deliver a 13 percent improvement in EPA combined fuel economy (over the prior model year).

Fuel economy is rated at 30 miles per gallon city, 39 miles per gallon highway and 34 miles per gallon combined with the CVT.

All Sentra models come with standard Xtronic CVT, except the base Sentra S which is available with a choice of 6-speed manual or CVT.

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While both companies are relatively unknown to the public, they are far from new on the hybrid scene. Together, they are involved in the Volvo V60 diesel-hybrid and in motorsport’s KERS energy recovery system, amongst other ventures.

Torotrak said the transaction strengthens the company’s ability to provide turnkey development and manufacture of complete flywheel hybrid systems for buses, trucks, passenger cars, commercial and off-highway vehicles. The company expects the deal will accelerate the adoption of its technology, which it says will be in fleet trials with bus operators later this year through an agreement with bus constructor Wrightbus.

Flybrid Automotive, a UK company owned by its founders Jon Hilton and Doug Cross, already has a successful long-term relationship with Torotrak, which uses Flybrid’s proven flywheel module in its Mechanical Kinetic Energy Recovery System (M-KERS).

Widely considered to be the world-leader in flywheel hybrid technologies, which can recover up to 70 percent of braking energy for around a third the cost of battery electric hybrids, Flybrid has evaluation or development programs with a wide range of vehicle manufacturers worldwide.

“As well as allowing us to accelerate the development of our M-KERS technology family, this acquisition will secure our access to what we believe is the most market-ready flywheel system available,” says Torotrak CEO, Jeremy Deering. “We now have the complete skill set, development resources and low-volume manufacturing expertise needed to help vehicle manufacturers, across a wide range of applications, introduce a technology that will allow them to significantly reduce CO2 emissions for a fraction of the cost and weight of conventional electric hybrids.”

Flybrid’s carbon fibre flywheel spins at up to 60,000 rpm in a near-perfect vacuum. Drive can be provided by the company’s CFT clutch-based transmission system or by Torotrak’s CVT (continuously variable transmission). Already proven in motorsport applications such as LMP1 sportscar racing, CFT KERS can provide up to 100 kilowatt and 540 kilojoule of storage in a system that has a full wet weight, including the electro-hydraulic control system, of less than 40 kilograms.

“CFT KERS scales down very well so could open-up a new market for small, low-cost automotive hybrids,” says Hilton. “It’s a good fit with Torotrak’s CVT, which is ideal for higher power systems and is already central to several of our customer programs.”

Flybrid’s portfolio of development programs includes Volvo Cars (which uses Torotrak’s CVT), Wrightbus, two manufacturers of off-highway vehicles and several motorsport constructors. Evaluation programs are ongoing with several other vehicle manufacturers across a wide range of sectors including passenger cars.

Flybrid said that if these relationships continue to progress as planned, their technology could be specified for a production vehicle by 2016.

Torotrak’s investment will provide additional resources to help secure this timing.

Deering sees these relationships as also offering considerable potential to extend the reach of Torotrak’s other technologies, particularly the company’s high-efficiency transmissions and low-cost, variable drive pressurecharging system. “Working more closely together allows a unified approach to customers and a strengthened ability to support them from development engineering through to supply of product,” he commented.

Strong Global Market Forecasts

Torotrak expects the first application of pure-mechanical flywheel hybrid technology will be in the urban commercial vehicle market, where benefits are strongest and volumes can be managed through existing relationships.

In the mid-sized UK bus market alone, there are 3,000 new vehicles each year and an existing fleet, with retrofit potential, of 50,000 vehicles. There are also substantial opportunities with other fleets that operate a stop-start drive cycle such as urban delivery vehicles and refuse vehicles.

In the passenger car sector, the Ricardo report forecasts penetration levels of 0.4 – 3.8 percent by 2020, offering potential volumes of up to four million units per year.

As well as affordable hybrids, these could include high-performance cars where the ability to release energy very quickly (quicker than batteries can allow) provides an attractive, differentiating ‘press to pass’ function.

Torotrak’s Jeremy Deering pointed out that the combination of the recent strengthening of the company’s high-precision manufacturing capability, together with joining forces with Flybrid’s own supply capability, means they can jointly support volumes from prototypes and fleet trials up to around 20,000 units a year, at which point the technology becomes attractive to global first tier partners: “We have the capability to work with vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers from specific application development through to medium volume supply; our strong financial backing will help establish a strong first to market position.”

The post Torotrak Acquires 20 Percent Of Flybrid Automotive Ltd appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The second-generation of Versa hatchback will go on sale at Nissan’s U.S. dealerships in June 2013.

Each new Versa Note will come equipped with an advanced 1.6-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control).

The HR16DE engine is rated at 109 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.

The Versa Note S features a 5-speed manual transmission, while the S Plus and SV models are equipped with a standard next-generation Nissan Xtronic CVT transmission.

Fuel economy for the front-wheel drive Versa Note is forecast by Nissan to deliver 40 mpg highway, 31 mpg city and 35 mpg combined for CVT-equipped models.

“As the entry segment is expanding with new models and nameplates, it’s not enough to offer value alone,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “The new Nissan Versa Note shakes up the category by satisfying both the emotional and rational needs with features that are truly unexpected in the class – such as sleek styling and advanced innovation features like our Around View Monitor parking assist system at an affordable price.”

According to Nissan,the Versa Note achieves a coefficient of drag of 0.298 for CVT-equipped models. Attention to aerodynamic detail can be seen on CVT-equipped Versa Note models with Nissan’s first-ever active grille shutter, which reduces drag by controlling airflow into the engine compartment.

Nissan said the Versa Note rides on standard 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers and 185/65HR15 all-season tires, while 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 195/55HR16 all-season tires are available. Low rolling resistance tires are standard on CVT-equipped models.

The Versa Note will be offered S, S Plus and SV grade levels – along with a Convenience package, SL Package and SL Tech Package. The new Versa Note will start with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $13,990 USD when it goes on sale in June 2013.

Full pricing details will be announced close to the on-sale date.

Eight exterior colors will be offered: Peacock Green, MorningSky Blue, Metallic Blue, Red Brick, Brilliant Silver, Magnetic Gray, Super Black and Aspen White.

The Versa Note will be assembled by Nissan Mexicana SA de CV in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

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