The system in use since the mid-1980s is of the format XnY-zzz where The A engine was an all-aluminum overhead valve inline-four designed in the mid-1960s for the Renault 16 and produced in three variants: The B family (for the Billancourt factory where it was produced,[1] also referred to as the Billancourt engine) was a cast-iron overhead valve three-bearing crankshaft inline-four designed in the mid-1940s for the 4CV and also used in the Renault 4 and Dauphine: The new B family three cylinder petrol engine appeared from 2016.
NMKV developed the BR06 engine based on this engine for Nissan and Mitsubishi Kei car The C family (for the Cléon-Fonte factory where it was produced, also referred to as Sierra in early variants), being also a cast-iron overhead valve inline-four but now with a five-bearing crankshaft, designed in the early 1960s for the Renault 8.
A G7R petrol and a G8T Diesel variant were in development when Renault announced a merger with Volvo who was designing its own modular family along the same lines.
The group decided to cancel the petrol versions, but diesel production started in 1993 and they were built for nearly two decades, until 2011.
Despite the breakdown of the merger in 1993, Renault did use Volvo petrol engines (Type N) in its mid- and full-size models until the early 2000s.
The J family (also referred to as the Douvrin engine) was an all-aluminum overhead camshaft inline-four design jointly developed with PSA.
Engines after 2001 got a new injection system and variable valve timing, this variant is rated 211 PS (155 kW), was being used in the Avantime, and the Laguna II V6.
Renault's N designation refers to the sourced all-aluminum Volvo modular 4-valve DOHC inline-4 -5 engines fitted in the Laguna and Safrane.
It has been used in the Trafic and Master utility van and the Safrane sedan since 1981: The V engine is Renault's internal designation for the Nissan VQ engine, an overhead camshaft V6 used in the Vel Satis sedan, Latitude and Espace minivan.