Types Of Internal Combustion Engines Available In India

In India, before buying a car, we inquire the most about its mileage, service cost, features, and after-sales service. But 90% of Indians never give importance to engines, what displacement they are carrying, how much power they produce, or, most importantly, what type of engine it is. Well, there are several types of engines available in India, and I am here to tell you all about them. So, do follow the 91Wheels Whatsapp Channel to never miss out on automotive updates, and let's get started.

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Inline or Straight Engine

The most used engine layout in the world is the inline engine. It is found in almost every type of car, be it sedans, hatchbacks, crossovers, or SUVs. The reason for this is that they are lightweight, affordable to maintain, and easily provide good fuel economy. So, basically, the cylinders are placed in a straight line, and the placement of the engine is done horizontally. In India, the most common inline engine is Maruti's K-Series, used in cars like the Baleno, Fronx, Brezza, and Ertiga. However, in mass-market cars, the most reliable inline engine is Honda's 1.5L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, used in cars like the Honda City and Elevate.

That said, now the 4-cylinder engines are being replaced by 3-cylinder ones, as 3-cylinder engines tend to be more fuel-efficient. Look at the all-new Z-Series engine by Maruti, which is now being used in the Swift and Dzire. It produces 82 ps and 111.7 Nm of torque, and the fuel efficiency is 24.79 km/l with the 5-MT and 25.71 km/l with the AMT. Moreover, in premium cars like the BMW 3 Series M340i and Mercedes E-Class, inline engines with 6 cylinders are used, and with more than 6 cylinders, you can find them in an inline or straight engine.

Flat Engines

This one is rare and is only found in the Porsche 911 sports coupe. Flat engines are horizontally opposed, with the pistons located on either side. This layout results in a better center of gravity, making the car more stable and improving its handling. Moreover, each pair of opposing pistons moves inwards and outwards, resembling the motion of boxing, which is why they are also called boxer engines. It's quite rare, as only the Porsche 911 offers a flat engine. To add more, flat engines are popular in aircraft and motorcycles but are no longer commonly used in cars.

V Engines

Pop culture icons have made V type engines quite famous these days, as they flex about their cyclinders, denoting, there cars have colossal amount of power, and yes, in all the supercars, you'll only find, twin-turbo V8, or a V12. Plus, the V denotes that, two cyclinders are connected to a common shaft, and they form the shape of the letter. Due to this the there length remains short, but width increases allowing more cyclinders to fit in. After Inline engines, this is the second most popular, usually avaialbe in premium cars.

The reason for their exclusivity is that they are expensive to maintain, not fuel-efficient, large in size, and only suitable if you want a high-performance car. In India, cars like the Land Rover Defender and Audi Q7 come with a V6 engine. The Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, Land Rover Range Rover, and Toyota Land Cruiser come with a V8, and lastly, V12 options are available in cars like the Aston Martin Vanquish, Ferrari 812 Superfast, Rolls-Royce Ghost, and Mercedes-Maybach S680.

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