Is Venucia's Engine the Same as Dongfeng Nissan's?

[OArabella]

Venucia's engines are the same as Nissan's. Venucia is a sub-brand of Dongfeng Nissan, and all Venucia models are discontinued Dongfeng Nissan vehicles. Not only the engines but also the transmissions and chassis are from Nissan. More details about Venucia are as follows: 1. Venucia is a brand with independent intellectual property rights fully developed by Dongfeng Nissan, carrying the industrial aspirations of Dongfeng Nissan. 2. The Venucia D60 is a compact sedan under Dongfeng Venucia, featuring the Venucia Wind Sculpture design style. Its front face is low and flat, with a grille composed of horizontally arranged block-shaped chrome decorations. The thick chrome strips on both sides integrate with the elongated headlight clusters, which also include LED daytime running lights. 3. In terms of configuration, the Venucia D60 is equipped with features such as one-key start, automatic start-stop, multifunctional steering wheel, electric folding mirrors, cruise control, and a rearview camera.

[SanAlice]

I remember when I bought the Venucia D50 ten years ago, the salesperson swore it used the exact same Nissan HR16 engine, right down to the unchanged logo on the cylinder head. Back then, as Nissan's 'own son,' Venucia basically copied the Qashqai's powertrain—mechanics who opened the engine confirmed it was identical. But things have changed significantly in recent years. After becoming independent, Venucia started developing its own technologies, like the 1.5T in the latest Venucia V, which adopts their in-house VSA Smart Turbo tech. While the engineering DNA still traces to Japanese roots, the parts suppliers and tuning style are noticeably different now. If buying a used older Venucia, it's fair to view it as a rebadged Nissan.

[HavenAnn]

Just checked the technical manual. The early MR20DE and HR16DE engines of Venucia were co-produced with Nissan, and both used Hitachi as the piston ring supplier. Here's a fun fact: the first five digits of the part numbers for the 2017 Venucia T70's 2.0L engine were identical to those of the Qashqai. However, 2020 marked a turning point. The newly launched Venucia Star began using Shenyang Aerospace Mitsubishi's 1.5T engine. Now, although the Venucia DD-i hybrid is labeled with VEP technology, its electronic control system has switched to a CATL solution. Simply put, they share the same bloodline but have undergone genetic mutations. For older models, you can still buy Nissan parts when replacing spark plugs, but for newer models, you'll need to look for Venucia-specific part numbers.

[MacWeston]

This issue depends on the model year. It's a well-known fact that older Venucia models used Nissan engines. When I was repairing a car, I noticed that the engine mounting bolt holes on a 2014 Venucia R50 matched those of a Nissan Tiida. However, two years ago, when I helped a friend pick up a Venucia V hybrid, the label in the engine compartment had changed to Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle Company. Although it retained Nissan's mirror-sprayed cylinder technology, the turbocharger was replaced with a product from Shanghai Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Venucia now refers to this as 'technology sharing from the same origin'—like a son growing up and moving out, where the furniture style resembles the father's but comes from a different manufacturer.

[VanAlex]

A veteran driver who has owned a Venucia T90 for seven years tells you: Check the production year! Venucia before 2017 was called 'Rebadged Nissan,' with engines and transmissions produced on the same line as Nissan, and Nissan systems used for maintenance at 4S shops. After 2020, Venucia became independent, and the new Venucia V started using the Magic Cube platform jointly developed by Dongfeng Group and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Although the engines retained Nissan's low-friction coating technology, the ECU programming was rewritten by Dongfeng's technical center. It's recommended to check the vehicle conformity certificate—if the engine manufacturer is listed as Dongfeng Nissan Engine Branch, then it's the genuine same model.

[ValentinaAnn]

From a supply chain perspective, in the early stages, 70% of Venucia's engine components were shared with Nissan, even utilizing the same production line at Zhengzhou Engine Plant. However, recent teardowns of the new Venucia DD-i hybrid revealed that although its 1.5T engine follows Nissan's variable compression ratio concept, the direct injection pressure has been increased from 20MPa to 35MPa, and the piston structure has been redesigned. The industry is well aware that Venucia relocated its R&D center to Dongfeng Group's headquarters in Wuhan last year, now showing greater reliance on Dongfeng Mach Power technology. Claims of 'pure Nissan heart' likely only apply to pre-2018 models.