Renault Sandero RS generations: what changed when you buy later
Restyling is not a new generation for shopping. You are still in generation 1. The buy question is: same 145 hp nameplate, same 2.0 MT string, different injection, different fuel grade, 3 kg, 1 kW, and a different rear-axle description.
1 generation (2015-01-01 to 2019-08-31). One body, Hatchback 5-door. One version: 2.0 MT. This is the lighter of the two cars at 1161 kg kerb weight, 1619 kg gross. Engine peak is listed at 107 kW and 5750 rpm. Fuel label is 95. Injection is Distributed injection (multi-point). Rear suspension label is Semi-independent, springorts hélicoïdaux, sem. Front suspension is Independent, spring. Ground clearance is 155 mm. Tank is 50 litres. Wheels are not measured.
1 generation, restyling 1 (from 2019-09-01, stop not measured). Same Hatchback 5-door, still one version named 2.0 MT. Kerb weight is 1164 kg — 3 kg more than the pre-restyle 2.0 MT (+0.26%). Gross stays 1619 kg. Peak is listed at 106 kW at 5759 rpm: 1 kW less than the first 2.0 MT, and 9 rpm later. Fuel label is 92. Injection is Direct injection (direct). Rear suspension becomes Independent, spring — the same English layout family as the front. Clearance stays 155 mm. Tank stays 50 litres. Wheels still not measured.
Restyling is not a new generation for shopping. You are still in generation 1. The buy question is: same 145 hp nameplate, same 2.0 MT string, different injection, different fuel grade, 3 kg, 1 kW, and a different rear-axle description.
Renault Sandero RS specs and engine: both cars are 2.0 MT
Keep the version string 2.0 MT. Both make 145 hp. Split them by kW and by dates.
| Version | Years | hp | kW | rpm (power) | Nm | rpm (torque) | Displacement, cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Gears | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 MT | 2015-01-01–2019-08-31 | 145 | 107 | 5750 | 198 | 4000 | 1998 | 95 | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | 6 | FWD |
| 2.0 MT | from 2019-09-01 | 145 | 106 | 5759 | 198 | 4000 | 1998 | 92 | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | 6 | FWD |
Shared engine geometry, taken only from the data: Gasoline; 4 Inline; 4 valves per cylinder; No boost; Front, transverse; compression 11.2; bore × stroke 82.7 × 93. Displacement 1998 cm³ on both 2.0 MT cars.
Specific output is the same horsepower over the same capacity: 145 / 1.998 ≈ 72.6 hp per litre on both. Torque is identical: 198 Nm at 4000 rpm, or 198 / 1.998 ≈ 99.1 Nm per litre. The restyle does not buy more peak twist.
What the restyle does change in the engine bay:
- 2.0 MT (2015) uses Distributed injection (multi-point) and fuel 95.
- 2.0 MT (2019 restyle) uses Direct injection (direct) and fuel 92.
That is the mechanical fork. Horsepower is not the fork. Gearbox is not the fork: Manual, 6 gears, FWD on both. If a listing says Renault Sandero RS 2.0 motor / que motor tiene, the honest answer is: 1998 cm³, 4 Inline, Gasoline, No boost, 145 hp, 198 Nm — then ask which injection and which fuel grade.
kW is the only power figure that moves: 107 kW vs 106 kW, a 0.93% drop on the later 2.0 MT. Peak rpm moves from 5750 to 5759. If you buy on the hp badge, the two cars are equal. If you buy on the kW line, the first 2.0 MT is the higher of the two.
Performance, mpg, and fuel tank: same sprint, consumption not measured
2.0 MT (2015): 0–100 in 8.4 s, top speed 200. City, highway, and combined consumption: not measured. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured.
2.0 MT (restyle): 0–100 in 8.4 s, top speed 200. City, highway, and combined: not measured. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured.
There is no measured mpg gap to use as a buying reason. Anyone searching Renault Sandero fuel consumption will not find a catalogue figure here. Tank capacity is 50 litres on both; that is the only fuel-system volume in the data.
Power-to-weight, from kerb and 145 hp:
- 2.0 MT 2015: 1161 / 145 ≈ 8.01 kg per hp (145 / 1161 ≈ 0.125 hp per kg).
- 2.0 MT restyle: 1164 / 145 ≈ 8.03 kg per hp (145 / 1164 ≈ 0.125 hp per kg).
The later car carries 3 kg more for the same 145 hp. On paper that is a worse ratio by 0.02 kg/hp. Acceleration and top speed in the data do not move: both 8.4 s and 200. The extra mass is visible in the table; it is not visible in the sprint numbers we have.
Gross-to-kerb payload window:
- 2.0 MT 2015: 1619 − 1161 = 458 kg.
- 2.0 MT restyle: 1619 − 1164 = 455 kg.
The restyle gives 3 kg less payload headroom because gross is unchanged at 1619 kg.
Dimensions, weight, and chassis: where the restyle actually spends the difference
Wheel sizes: not measured on either 2.0 MT. Do not treat a missing wheel line as “this car has no wheels”; it is not measured.
Ground clearance: 155 mm on both. You are not buying ride height when you move from 2016–2017 stock to 2020 stock.
Kerb: 1161 kg then 1164 kg. Gross: 1619 kg both.
Brakes, English labels: front Ventilated disc, rear Disc — same pair on both versions.
Front suspension: Independent, spring — both.
Rear suspension is the chassis fork:
- 2.0 MT 2015: Semi-independent, springorts hélicoïdaux, sem.
- 2.0 MT restyle: Independent, spring.
If you care about axle design more than peak kW, the restyle is the car that matches front and rear as Independent, spring. If you care about kerb weight, the 2015–2019 2.0 MT is 3 kg lighter.
Which Renault Sandero RS version to choose
There is no third engine, no automatic, no other drive. The shopping set is two cars with the same name 2.0 MT.
Choose the 2015-01-01 to 2019-08-31 2.0 MT if you want the higher listed kW (107 vs 106), the lower kerb (1161 vs 1164), the larger payload remainder (458 vs 455 kg), and you will run fuel 95 with Distributed injection (multi-point). This is the car people mean by Renault Sandero RS 2016 / 2017 in this dataset: still Hatchback 5-door, still Manual 6, still FWD, still 145 hp / 198 Nm / 1998 cm³. You accept Semi-independent rear as labelled, and you accept that mpg is not measured.
Choose the 2019-09-01 2.0 MT (restyling 1) if you want Direct injection (direct), fuel 92, and Independent, spring at the rear. You give up 1 kW, 3 kg of lightness, and 3 kg of payload. You do not gain 0–100 or top speed: still 8.4 s and 200. You do not gain tank size: still 50. You do not gain a measured consumption figure. This is the car that matches searches for Renault Sandero RS 2020 / Renault Sandero 2019 specs inside this model: same 2.0 MT name, same 145 hp.
What extra money cannot be shown to buy. There are no prices in the data, so “extra money” here means extra year and restyle content, not a invoice delta. Against the first 2.0 MT, the later 2.0 MT does not buy more horsepower, more newton-metres, more gears, another driven axle, a larger tank, more clearance, or a measured economy win. Arithmetic on the given numbers: same 72.6 hp/l, same 99.1 Nm/l, +3 kg, −1 kW, +9 rpm at peak, fuel grade 95 → 92, injection multi-point → direct, rear axle semi-independent → Independent, spring.
Reliability and “is it a good car.” No failure rates, no review scores, no durability tests are in the data. Reliability is not measured here. What is measured is a single Gasoline 4 Inline 1998 cm³ with No boost, Manual 6, FWD, 145 hp, 8.4 s, 200, 50-litre tank, 155 mm clearance, two kerb weights 3 kg apart.
If you must pick one line: buy the first 2.0 MT for 107 kW and 1161 kg; buy the restyled 2.0 MT for Direct injection (direct), fuel 92, and Independent, spring rear. Both remain Renault Sandero RS 2.0 MT, Hatchback 5-door, 145 hp, 198 Nm, FWD.