He Renault Rafale It is the latest flagship of the French brand, a representative SUV that demonstrates how far they can go in terms of technology and quality. This year we had the opportunity to test it in its hybrid variant, although there is also a more capable plug-in hybrid on the market. Known as Rafale E-Tech 4×4, it is a variant with 300 HP and all-wheel drive for those nonconformists looking for the ZERO label. Arrives with a peculiar transmission that has a lot to say, in addition to national flavor.
The so-called DB49 transmission It is manufactured in the Seville planta center that has gone from being owned by Renault to the Horse brand. We must not forget that with Renaulution it was established that this would be the firm with which the internal combustion mechanics and their components would continue working. These facilities give I work for more than 1,000 employees and have specialized in hybrid transmissions. In fact, more than 60% of the plant’s production is exported outside of Spain.
After more than six decades they have manufactured more than 32 million transmissions, with years as good as this 2024, which they are going to close with around 666,670 transmissions manufactured. This includes the DB49 of the Renault Rafale plug-in hybrid, a box that weighs just 99 kg and stands out for its qualities. It is a 15 speed unitwithout clutch, capable of producing up to 48 HP of power (35 kW) and a maximum torque of 470 Nm. It does this by incorporating two electric motors to round out the system.
The DB49 transmission is controlled by a integrated electronic unit latest generation. This has been named Power Electronics Box (PEB) and comes from the Aveiro plant (Portugal). The new transmission achieves a optimized behavior and improved compared to the DB35 from which it started. And it not only contributes a lot to the Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4, but also to the national industry.
The Horse plant in Seville has added two new assembly lines and the adaptation of several machining lines since hybrid transmissions arrived. It has also invested in a state-of-the-art test bench and opted for a series of “data-centric” processes to streamline various aspects.
