Following the introduction of the Euro 6 carbon emissions directive in the UK and Europe, an unexpected race for engine downsizing began among car manufacturers. They started reducing the size of larger engines and including smaller engines in their model ranges. However, this change has been implemented across several other continents, including the United States.
Throughout this downsizing race, four-cylinder engines have become increasingly popular with car manufacturers. From family cars to sports cars, 4-cylinder engines have become the most important element in the engine range.
These four-cylinder engine cars have excellent performance. Usually, you don’t get too much luxury and comfort with these cars. The fuel consumption of these cars is the highest and has been carefully planned.
Here is the list of the ten most popular 4-cylinder cars in the UK and European markets.
1. AUDI S3 2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder Engines
It’s a bitter reality that Audi, as a subsidiary of the German car manufacturer VW, uses VW engines, and they don’t have a specific engine family name like Mazda or Ford. They simply adapt to the engine dimensions and number of cylinders.
For diesel engines, they have TDi engines, and for gasoline engines, they have TFSi engines. The most powerful are the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder TDi engines with 292 horsepower, which reach 62 miles per hour and a top speed of 155 miles per hour in just 4.6 seconds.
In the Audi S3 models, these engines are economical at 25 miles per gallon, and they are superbly designed sports sedans.
2. MAZDA 3 SkyActiv Engines
Mazda is more active in the family car sector and makes a major contribution to this segment. The most exclusive thing about Mazda vehicles is that they introduced the Mazda Skyactiv engines; these units are the highest-rated four-cylinder engines with exclusive performance and efficiency in the Mazda 3 engines.
The Mazda 3 models are living examples of this engine family. These engines produce 184 horsepower and take nearly seven seconds to reach the 60 mph mark.
These engines are available in a variety of models and power outputs with a fuel consumption range from 30 miles per gallon to 47 miles per gallon.
3. FORD FOCUS ST EcoBoost Engines
In the current UK new car market, the Ford Focus is one of the most attractive versions of small family cars. These hatchback vehicles were part of the top 10 British family hatchback cars and show excellent sales figures.
The Focus hatchback sedans are among those family vehicles that can easily carry five passengers. The Focus ST is one of the models equipped with Ford’s most efficient four-cylinder EcoBoost engines.
Ford engines range from 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engines to 2.0-liter EcoBoost engines that develop 252 horsepower and a powerful torque of 270 lb-ft, capable of reaching 62 miles per hour in just 6 seconds. In the Ford Focus ST models, this engine has a top speed of 150 miles per hour, which is an excellent top speed.
4. KIA SOUL 2.0-Liter Engine
KIA Soul is a Korean offering; it’s an SUV with all the features and qualities of a sedan to provide extra fuel economy and an excellent blend of performance in family driving.
A range of 4-cylinder engines is available for the KIA Soul. The best-tested version of these 4-cylinder engines is a 2.0-liter version developing 201 horsepower. This engine delivers a mountain of torque almost equal to the power.
With this engine, the Soul has an acceleration time of 6.5 seconds to go from 0 to 62 miles per hour, but the top speed is also not less than that of an Audi in the same class.
Fuel consumption is stated as an average of 30 miles per gallon, which is much better than a number of cars in this category.
5. PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER Engines
Porsche is a well-known sober sports car and uses four-stroke engines. The Porsche 718 Boxster engines are simply excellent four-cylinder engines. They are based on the 2.0-liter turbo versions and are available in different power outputs.
The Boxster is one of the most spectacular machines and takes just under five seconds to break the 100 km/h barrier. It has an average fuel consumption of 26 miles per gallon in a full sports car.
6. CHEVROLET CAMARO 4-Cylinder Engine
The Camaro is one of the most inspiring muscle cars and is in direct competition with the Ford Mustang and is one of the oldest living muscle cars in the world. The Camaro is offered with the world’s best smaller engines.
The base version starts with the 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engines. These engines are capable of producing a rich torque of nearly 300 lb-ft and a power of 275 horsepower.
The Camaro takes just over 5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. It has excellent fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon.
7. SUBARU BRZ 2.0 Engine
The Japanese car manufacturer Subaru produces the BRZ family vehicles, and these vehicles are equipped with the most powerful boxer engines. These engines are 4-cylinder units and have a displacement of 2.0 liters, placing them at the top of the BRZ models.
Subaru BRZ also has a brother that looks like an identical twin; everything is almost the same and most features are the same, except for the badge. Guess what it is? It’s the Toyota 86.
In terms of performance, it’s far behind the BRZ models. BRZ models are popular in European markets, but the 86 models are very rare. The BRZ’s 4-cylinder engine is a powerful unit that develops 205 horsepower and transfers all the power to the manual transmission.
It’s not an inline engine but a flat boxer engine. On the other hand, there are also automatic transmissions, and if you choose automatic transmissions, 5 horsepower is lost from the system due to mechanical losses from the automatic system.
The BRZ is more efficient and useful with a manual transmission. It takes 6.2 seconds to reach the 62 miles per hour benchmark. It has a combined fuel consumption of 28 miles per gallon, and on the highway, the BRZ remains a muscular and robust sports coupe.
In urban traffic, it lacks a bit of driving pleasure, but overall, it’s simply a great vehicle that can be driven with a 4-cylinder boxer engine.
8. ACURA TLX 4-Cylinder Engines
The Acura TLX is another luxury model under the Honda platform, and in several markets, it is more famous than the Civic models. The TLX offers something for family drivers, and the 4-cylinder TLX starts with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It takes 6.8 seconds to reach a speed of 100 km/h.
Moreover, this Honda model is relatively less fuel-efficient than previous 4-cylinder models and is also slightly slower, but still manages to achieve a fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon, and on the driving side, with this excellent engine, the TLX has a well-balanced and smooth steering system and an excellent infotainment system.
9. FORD MUSTANG EcoBoost Engines
Ford claims that the Mustang with EcoBoost engines will boost the economy and also confirms that EcoBoost is the lightest powertrain in the entire Mustang range.
The 2.3-liter four-cylinder engines are capable of producing 310 horsepower and providing excellent torque of 320 lb-ft. The four-cylinder engines also offer excellent fuel economy, with the car manufacturer confirming an average of 28 miles per gallon.
To reach 62 miles per hour, this engine takes 5.8 seconds. The Mustang’s EcoBoost engines are actually quite decent engines and make the Mustang a decent sports coupe.
10. ALFA ROMEO 4C Cylinder Engines
Alfa Romeo is one of the most famous Italian brands for producing luxury sports cars, from the family sedan to the sedan, each model is powered by excellent engines. The 4C is one of the examples available in the UK, equipped with 4-cylinder engines.
The vehicle is equipped with a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.75 liters. This is a turbocharged version of the 4-cylinder engines used in