Kelisa Page 2
KENARI ENGINE
Under the short bonnet is the same engine as the Kenari, ie the EJ-DE unit which is a 989 cc 3-cylinder, DOHC powerplant with four valves per cylinder. This long-stroke engine runs on a compression ratio of 10:1 and develops 40.5 kW/55 ps of power at 5200 rpm with 88.3 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm. These figures are 47% higher than what is generated by the 850 cc engine in the Kancil and give the Kelisa a better weight-to-power ratio even though it is 115 kgs heavier than the Kancil. Factory claims for performance with a manual gearbox are 12.8 seconds for 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 155 km/h, figures which are 2 seconds quicker and 25 km/h, respectively, compared to the Kancil 850. Fuel consumption is claimed to be comparable to the Kancil 850’s.
The engine is a fairly efficient unit, thanks to features such as vertical and straight intake ports, centrally-mounted spark plugs and a low-frictional loss valvetrain. In response to a query about why the UK Kenari engines have variable valve timing (VVT), Perodua manager explained that the VVT is there not to boost performance but the enable the engine to meet the tougher Euro 3 emission control standards applicable to cars sold in that country. “It doesn’t really provide a significant performance gain and would not be worth the extra cost that Malaysian customers would have to pay,” the manager explained.
5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions are available, with the autobox having a final drive ratio of 4.439:1 while the manual uses a ratio of 3.938:1. These low final drive ratios are necessitated by the fact that the engine has a small displacement.
Rack and pinion steering is used with power steering but the cheapest Kelisa version – the EX – does not have the power-assistance. The brake system is disc/drum while the suspension is identical to that of the Kenari – independent MacPherson struts in front and a beam axle with semi-trailing arm location, coil springs and telescopic dampers. Depending on the version, the tyres fitted are either 155/65×13 or fatter 165/60×13.
continued on page 3
