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Having swapped a Mondeo for a Clio I notice that the demisters blow hot and the engine temp gets up to normal much quicker (about 2-3 mins as opposed to 6-7). Just a quirk of the model or true of all smaller engined cars?
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I always assumed it was because the engine block was smaller, so less metal means it radiates heat quicker.
This probably shows a complete lack of understanding about how a car heater works!
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Compare the amounts af water in the coolant systems.
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The volume of water in the cooling/heating system, and the mass of the engine and associated parts, will make a difference. So will the thermal efficiency of the engine (diesels produce less waste heat than petrol engines, so take longer to warm up assuming everything else is the same). So will the ambient temperature. So will the amount of work the engine has to do from the off (it will warm up much quicker going uphill than down).
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In theory it is all relative so aside from the difference between diesel and petrol engines of varying sizes should warm up a similar rates, differences thus are model specific as opposed to size related.
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It's more likely to be determined by the volume of the coolant in the engine, heater and parts of the system that re-circulate the coolant when the thermostat's closed.
Renault engines I've experienced tend to warm up very quickly.
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As others have said its likely down to coolant amount. My 1.4 K series in my Rover is blowing warm air literally within seconds and is fully up to temperature within a mile. My TF with essentially the same engine, albeit 1.8 and double the coolant takes a fair bit longer.
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AFAIR the K series is a special case, designed to warm up quickly - very small quantity of coolant, and some (probably inept) odd plumbing with the thermostat in an unusual place.
If you want a car with a good heater buy something designed in a really cold country.
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The best heaters I've ever experienced are the ones in my 1977 3.0 mk1 Granada and 1982 2.8 mk2 Granada - they are like furnaces! The engines also warm up fairly quickly, probably due to lots of petrol going into the 6 cylinders!
My diesel Qashqai heater is rather feeble in comparison, but the engine warms up surprisingly quickly for a modern DI diesel. The 2.0 dti engines in my previous Astra and Vectra took ages to warm up!
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Engines have 'wet' liners and 'dry' liners.
IIRC the TF had 'damp' liners. I presume that meant very little coolant circulating round them.
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Diesels are definitely slower due to their greater thermal efficiency. My current Volvo (2.0 petrol turbo) has the fastest warm up of any car I've owned. The heater is blowing warm air after about half a mile, and hot after a mile. It's amazing.
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