We, automobile engineers, are delighted to do one thing, research, make and build cars. From vehicle dynamics to the engine, everything always falls in the interesting zone. Because of this interest, engineers often put in an extra effort in developing the essential components like the engine. And these engines offer a little more than usual.
But at times due to some reason, these motors go unheard, hence many people are not aware of them. So, to give them the required fame and appreciation here are 10 less known gem engines that existed in Indian cars.
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Maruti Suzuki 2.8-litre V6 Engine
Remembering the Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 No, you are not mistaken, Maruti Suzuki or rather just Suzuki did try a 2.8-litre V6 engine. 2003 was when the V6 engines were extra-extraordinary and this is the time Suzuki brought a 2.8-litre V6 engine to India. The first and the only car in the country to come with this motor was the Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7.
Diving a little deep, the engine produced a peak power of 183bhp with 244.0Nm of max torque. And this motor came with an option of a 5-speed manual transmission and a 4-speed AT (torque converter).
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Ford 1.6-litre NA Petrol Engine
Ford Fiesta One of the underrated engines in Ford’s lineup was the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated motor. Why was it underrated, you may ask? This motor in the late 2000s was among the powerful engines in the market. That said, this 1.6-litre powerhouse came with the brand’s driver focuses car, the Fiesta.
Speaking of the heart of the car, the motor was capable of generating a peak power of 99.6bhp and about 146Nm of peak torque. The combination was even more enthusiastic as the engine powered the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. And no, there was no option of an automatic, #carguythings.
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Maruti Suzuki 1.6-litre NA Petrol Engine
Maruti SX4 Celebration Can you think of Maruti Suzuki making performance-oriented engines? Well, after 2003 it did happen again in 2007 the company introduced a new 1.6-litre naturally aspirated motor. For you to know, this engine came with the Maruti’s SX4.
Sad but this engine might be the reason for the SX4’s tag line, ‘the men are back’. Talking about power, the engine delivered max horses of 103.2bhp and 145Nm of maximum torque. Again, Maruti Suzuki SX4 being a driver’s car had no option of an automatic transmission.
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Skoda 2.0-litre Diesel Engine
2014 Facelift Some engines are not meant to be pushed hard nor they are for outride performance, this motor from Skoda is the perfect example. This engine came under the hood of the companies first compact SUV in India, Yeti. Skoda Yeti was among the first cars to start the compact SUV segment in India.
Talking about the numbers, this 2.0-litre diesel engine was capable of generating 140ps of max power and 320Nm of peak torque. Also, this engine coupled with a potent chassis was capable of doing some decent offroading. Yes, Skoda Yeti did come with a 4X4 drivetrain.
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Mitsubishi 2.0-litre NA Petrol Engine
Mitsubishi Cedia Moving on, another engine that didn’t see daylight for long was the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. This motor is one of the powerful naturally aspirated petrol engines, even by today’s standards. Decoding a little more, this 2.0–litre 4 cylinder engine is capable of generating about 115bhp and nearly 175Nm of peak torque.
One of the USPs of this motor is that it is peppy and offers power in almost every RPM. All you have to do is put your foot down and the car shoots forward. No doubt, this engine came with the Mitsubishi Cedia. Additionally, Cedia had a price tag of less than ₹10lakhs (ex-showroom) for the base variant in its peak days.
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Chevrolet 2.0-litre Diesel Engine
Chevrolet Cruze When driving a car with petrol and a diesel engine side by side, it is the former that feels energetic and powerful. The pushback that you experience from a brawny diesel motor is out of this world. Taking this experience a notch above was the Chevrolet 2.0–litre diesel engine. Okay, to experience this engine you have to be seated in Chevrolet Cruze.
We think now you’ll be able to recognize this engine better. Moving on, this diesel engine produces 163.7bhp and 360Nm of peak torque. Those are some mouth-watering numbers for a petrol head. And the engine came mated to either a 6-speed manual or an automatic for convenience.
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Maruti Suzuki 1.6-litre Diesel Engine
10 unique things about the 2015 Maruti Suzuki s-cross DDiS The only not so old engine on this list is the DDiS 320 diesel from Suzuki. This motor was Maruti Suzuki’s another attempt at selling a premium and powerful vehicle in India. Also, it was the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross that came powered by this engine. This engine was unique as it shared its technology with the diesel engine of India i.e DDiS 200 (1.3-litre turbo diesel).
But displacing more capacity, this engine was way more powerful than its smaller counterpart. Now, talking about power, this 1.6–litre motor produces 120ps of max power and 320Nm of peak torque. Petrolhead alert, this engine came mated to only a 6-speed stick shift.
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Skoda 3.6-litre V6 Engine
Skoda Superb Back in old times, numerous cars from various brands in India came with a V6 engine. One of the vehicle to support a 3.6–litre V6 motor was Skoda Superb. Going by its name, Superb is known to be a saloon focusing more on luxury.
But with luxury, Skoda decided to give this superb sedan a superb engine, making the overall package well, superb. Shifting our focus to the engine, this V6 motor generates a mind whacking 260hp of max power and 350Nm of peak torque. Adding to the fun was the AWD drivetrain.
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Hyundai 2.2-litre CRDi Engine
Hyundai Santafe All the car makers around the world have mastered a type of engine, talking about Hyundai they have their CRDi diesel engines. And all the diesel engines from the brand are famous except the 2.2-litre CRDi. Adding further, this motor was a part of the Hyundai SantaFe’s portfolio.
Well, to move this huge SUV the engine ought to be powerful, which it actually was. Spinning all four wheels, this motor generates a whopping 194.3bhp and 420Nm of peak torque. Let me tell you, these figures are more than what today’s SUVs produce at SantaFe’s price point.
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Volkswagen 1.6-litre NA Engine
Volkswagen Polo The car to start the era of hot hatchbacks in India is the Volkswagen Polo. And before the TSI engine, the Polo came with a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine in India. This engine came along with the usual 1.2-litre MPi. But have a bigger bore and stroke, the engine generates 105ps of max power and 153Nm of peak torque.
“Some engines are not meant to be pushed hard nor they are for outride performance”
Bro this same 2.0TDI on my Jetta is meant to do the exact opposite of what you just said. Smokes past every car you’ve mentioned in this list including every car under 30 lakhs today. So pls fix your writing. Thank you.
Hi,
Skoda Yeti and Volkswagen Jetta came powered by the same 2.0-litre TDi engine, Sure! But the engines in both the cars were in different tunes. Where Jetta is known to have good outride performance, the same cannot be said for Yeti. Further, Yeti came with a 4X4 drive train, meaning, it requires low-end torque rather than going at high speeds. But this doesn’t mean it was not good at highway cruising. Stay Pinned!:)
Reu are you sure!? Because the Jetta feels fast because of that hefty torque But it can’t cope with the Superb V6 and even the Accord V6! Have driven the Jetta as well as the V6 rivals and I can surely tell that the Jetta is no where close.