Exploring the Best Car Engines in India: Power, Efficiency, and Reliability

Car engines are complex pieces of technology and have the power to confound the most ardent automobile enthusiasts. For the layman, they can come across as rocket science. However, if you are wondering about what kind of engine should your next car have, and you don’t know where to begin, then, you have come to the right place. To make things simple, we have broken down the nuances of car engines into easily digestible topics so that you have a better understanding of the beating heart underneath the bonnet of your current, or next car.

Key factors influencing engine performance

Engine performance is affected by a wide number of factors. These factors can be the distinction between a happy driving experience and a not-so happy one. However, you must understand which factors work best for you depending on what you expect out of your car. For example, the key factors to look at for someone who prioritises performance will be different than for someone who prioritises efficiency and environmental impact. 

To give you a clearer picture, we have listed below the major factors that affect engine performance:

1) Displacement: This is the total size of your engine’s combustion chamber of all its cylinders, where fuel and air mix together to create a controlled explosion. This explosion is converted into rotational motion and through a series of mechanical connections, it ultimately helps rotate the wheels. Displacement is often the biggest factor that affects an engine’s output. The bigger the engine, the higher its output. However, the downside to a bigger engine is that it will generally consume more fuel. Therefore, for someone who prioritises performance, a bigger engine will be the better option but for someone who prioritises fuel efficiency and their vehicle’s environmental impact, a smaller displacement engine may perform better.

2) Horsepower: It is one of the two basic units used to measure an engine’s work output. The higher the horsepower, the more performance you can squeeze out of an engine. However, understanding how horsepower works can be a little tricky, and some might even call it a scientific nightmare. In scientific terms, horsepower is the measurement of how quickly an engine can perform a defined amount of work. In layman terms, a higher horsepower allows for a higher top speed.

3) Torque: When measuring engine output, torque is the second most basic unit used. Just like horsepower, the higher the torque, the better an engine will perform. But, it doesn’t affect an engine the same way as horsepower. In scientific terms, torque is simply the measurement of how much work an engine can do. In layman terms, a higher torque figure allows a car to accelerate faster from a standstill or from slow speeds.

4) Fuel Efficiency: Indian car buyers understand one thing in abundance about car engines and that is fuel efficiency. It is simply the amount of fuel a car uses to cover a particular amount of distance. Fuel efficiency tends to go up when using smaller, less powerful engines and go down when using bigger, more powerful engines. This is a basic rule that applies most of the time, although there can be certain specific situations where a bigger engine turns out to be more efficient than a smaller one.

5) Emissions: To put things simply, the more fuel an engine burns, the more emissions it will emit. Thus, bigger engines emit more emissions than smaller engines. However, the emission norms are the same across the board, no matter the displacement of the engine. So, bigger engines have to use additional technology and components to offset this issue. In the cases of large diesel engines, additives such as urea (AdBlue) are used to treat exhaust gases before they are emitted from the exhaust. Stricter emission norms can also reduce an engine’s output and fuel efficiency, however, they are better for the environment.

Types of car engines in India

Indian car makers offer a plethora of engine options in the market and it can become a painstaking exercise to find the right one for you. Depending on what car you want, you may have to choose between petrol or diesel, naturally aspirated or turbocharged, and hybrid or electric! Now to be fair, each one of these variations have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Therefore, let us take a closer look at what is the difference between these different types of engines:

1. Petrol

• The petrol engine has been in use for more than a century, and globally, it has been the most popular choice of engines for cars.
• Petrol engines are relatively smooth and quiet in their operation, and offer the best NVH levels among internal combustion engines used in production cars.
• These engines work efficiently across a relatively broader range of RPM’s when compared to diesel engines.
• Petrol engines use spark plugs to combust the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder.
• Conventionally, most petrol engines used in mass market cars were naturally aspirated, however, newer petrol engines also feature turbocharging in some cases.

2. Diesel

• Diesel engines have also been around for more than a century, and were invented soon after the petrol engine.
• They are relatively louder and less refined than petrol engines, although modern day diesel engines offer impressive NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) levels.
• Diesel engines offer  better fuel efficiency than petrol engines. However, they tend to be efficient in a narrow RPM band and at lower RPMs, however, they generally offer superior torque output than petrol engines.
• Diesel engines don’t need spark plugs. The air-fuel mixture can ignite when the piston compresses the mixture because of the high pressure and temperature created inside the cylinder.
• Modern day diesel engines in mass market cars require turbocharging to extract the required amount of power and efficiency.

3. Naturally Aspirated

• The first engines ever created were naturally aspirated. 
• Naturally aspirated engines rely on atmospheric pressure for the intake of air.
• The air is sucked in when the intake valves open, and the piston moves to its bottom-most position inside the cylinder.
• They offer a linear power delivery and are some of the best sounding engines in the world.

4. Turbocharged

• Turbocharging in production cars became popular in the 1980’s.
• Turbocharged engines use a mechanical device called a turbocharger to compress air before it is pushed inside the cylinder.
• Due to more air entering the engine, more fuel can be injected as well, thus increasing an engine’s output.
• They are significantly more powerful than naturally aspirated engines, although they adversely affect fuel efficiency.
• Turbochargers use exhaust gases to spin and create the additional pressure required to compress and send more engine to the combustion chambers inside the engine.

5. Electric Motor

• Electric motors run purely on electricity and don’t produce any emissions like petrol and diesel engines.
• They consist of only one moving part which makes their construction relatively simple.
• Electric motors, unlike petrol or diesel engines, can make all of their torque as soon as you apply current to them, which generally results in impressive acceleration.
• The NVH level of electric motors is significantly better than any petrol or diesel vehicle. 

6. Hybrid

• Hybrid engines are the best of both worlds as they merge regular internal combustion engines with an electric motor.
• They can seamlessly switch between the two.
• Mass market cars in India only use petrol engines in conjunction with electric motors for hybrid setups.
• However, there are premium cars that do offer hybrid options with diesel engines as well.
• Hybrid engines offer excellent fuel efficiency and at the same time are kinder on the environment as well.

Petrol vs diesel engines: What’s better for Indian roads?

The petrol vs diesel debate has plagued the Indian car industry for years now. The primary reason for this is that no one type of fuel is the perfect fit for all scenarios. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled a list highlighting the benefits of each.

Reasons to pick petrol

• It’s more refined and smooth.
• Cars with petrol engines have a lower up-front cost.
• Petrol engines have a lower maintenance cost per kilometre compared to diesel engines.
• They are more efficient in start-stop traffic than diesel engines and are better suited for shorter commutes.

Reasons to pick diesel

• The price of diesel is lower than that of petrol.
• It is more fuel efficient compared to petrol.
• Diesel engines make most of their torque at lower RPMs.

Keeping the above reasons in mind, petrol engines are better suited for those users who commute mostly in the city, want a smoother drive quality, don’t want to pay more for buying the car and maintaining it, and drive around for less than 1,000 kms a month. 

On the other hand, diesel engines will work better for those people that drive extensively and thus value fuel efficiency over everything else. Diesel cars are also quite relaxing to drive on highways as they make a lot of torque in the lower RPMs.

Engine technologies that revolutionised the industry

1. Variable Valve Timing (VVT)

To be able to understand Variable Valve Timing, one must first have an understanding of how most production car engines function. In short, an internal combustion goes through something called a four stroke cycle. The first part of the cycle is called the intake stroke and in this phase, the engine's intake valves open, the piston starts moving from the top of the cylinder to its bottom, and the air-fuel mixture is sucked into the cylinder. The second part of the cycle is called compression, and in this phase, all valves are closed, and the piston moves from the bottom of the cylinder to the top, compressing the air-fuel mixture. The third phase of the cycle is called the combustion stroke and the compressed air-fuel mixture is ignited in this phase. This happens with the help of a spark plug in petrol engines. In diesel engines, the compression pressure is enough to ignite the mixture, and a spark plug is not required. In this phase, the explosion inside the cylinder pushes the piston from the top of the cylinder to its bottom. The fourth phase of the cycle is the exhaust stroke. During this phase, the exhaust valves of the cylinder open and the piston moves from the bottom most position to its top most position, expelling the exhaust gases inside the cylinder.

As you can see, the intake and exhaust valves for each cylinder open and close at certain times. Variable Valve Timing allows one to control the duration of how long these valves stay open. Doing this at different RPMs can have different effects. By dialling in the perfect timing, engineers can optimise the fuel efficiency of an engine at lower RPMs and increase its power output at higher RPMs. Before VVT, this was not possible and engineers had to choose whether to tune an engine for efficiency or performance.

2. Direct Injection (Di)

Direct Injection refers to the method of adding fuel to the cylinder of an engine. In normal scenarios, the air and fuel are mixed inside the intake manifold (the chamber before the intake valve) and then sucked into the cylinder during the intake stroke. In the case of Direct Injection, fuel is directly squirted inside the cylinder using a separate mechanism. Direct Injection allows car makers to increase the thermal efficiency of an engine, which helps in creating more power and increasing fuel efficiency at the same time. Direct Injection engines are more complex than regular engines, and thus its adoption has been slow. However, in recent years, car makers like Hyundai have adopted this technology in their turbo-petrol engines with great success.

3. Start-stop Technology

Start-stop technology turns off the engine when the car comes to a brief halt. In the real world, this happens when you come to a halt at a traffic light or are stationary in traffic. The engine in cars with start-stop technology has a small electric motor attached to it, often called the ISG or Integrated Starter Generator. It is connected to a small battery. When a vehicle brakes, this electric motor is able to harvest the energy lost in braking and stores it in the battery. Once the car comes to a temporary halt, the engine shuts off. Once the driver gets off the brake in an automatic transmission car or presses the clutch pedal in a manual transmission car, the ISG uses the energy in the battery to crank the engine and start it. This system is also able to support the engine during acceleration at slow speeds. A Start-stop system is vastly beneficial as it saves fuel when a car is stationary. In India, Maruti Suzuki cars have some of the most finely tuned Start-stop systems.

4. Cylinder Deactivation

Big engines create more power but they also burn more fuel. This is especially true when the load on the engine is not a lot, and yet all the cylinders continue to burn fuel. To circumvent this issue, car makers developed the Cylinder Deactivation system. True to its name, the engine deactivates some of its cylinders when it is under a light load. This usually happens when a vehicle is driven at lower RPMs in higher gears. With some of the cylinders shut off, the engine uses less fuel. The most prominent example of this is the 1.5 litre TSI engine from the Volkswagen-Skoda group that is found in cars like the Taigun, Kushaq, Virtus and Slavia.

Brands known for durable engines

Honda

If there is one engine manufacturer that every Indian car buyer would swear by, it would be Honda. Honda’s legendary reliability is rooted in its petrol engines, which have been present in the Indian subcontinent since before the turn of the century. Honda has mostly sold only petrol cars in India, and these engines are known for their refinement, linear acceleration and coming from an enthusiast, their wonderful exhaust note. The VTEC system that Honda has pioneered over the years further adds to the allure behind its engines. Honda engines are also known for their high mileage life.

Toyota

Another Japanese carmaker known for its bulletproof engines is Toyota. Some of Toyota’s greatest engines are high displacement engines, and their reliability levels extend to both petrol and diesel engines. Toyota engines are generally over-engineered, especially in the case of their older models, which means that Toyota cars generally reach the end of their life but their engines continue to function perfectly. Once upon a time, Toyota engines were also known for their simplicity, however, they have become complex in the modern era. Regardless of that, Toyota remains one of the best engine developers and manufacturers in the Indian market.

Maruti Suzuki

The third manufacturer on this list is also part-Japanese and that is saying something about the small island nation. Maruti Suzuki’s petrol engines have always been the mainstay of their lineup and over the years, they have been known for their efficiency, performance and reliability. This is a trifecta that many engine makers wish to achieve but only some are able to make it to the promised land. In fact, the 1.3 litre diesel engine that Maruti Suzuki used to source from the Italian brand – Fiat before the BS6 era was known for achieving the same benchmarks as their petrol engines. If all of this was not enough, Maruti Suzuki engines are also quite frugal to maintain.

Car with best engines in India

While engine technology has gotten complex over the years, there are still some cars that stand out for many reasons. Below, we have curated a list of mass market cars with some of the best engines in India in 2024.

* Engine is present in other cars as well including different brands.

Maintenance tips for prolonging engine life

Like all machines, engines deteriorate as they are used. However, if taken care of properly, a car engine has the potential to last its lifetime without requiring any major overhaul. You can undertake small steps to ensure that your engine stays in a healthy condition:

• If you like squeezing out the maximum performance from your engine, make sure you use fully synthetic engine oil. Moderate drivers can get away with synthetic blends as well, as long as the engine is not often subjected to high stress.
• You should drive gently up until the engine reaches its operating temperature. Just like an overly hot engine can destroy itself, an engine that is not up to temperature can also cause itself damage if it is used in an aggressive manner.
• Bad quality fuel has the potential to cause damage to your engine. Always fill up fuel from reputable petrol pumps that you know offer genuine quality fuel. In case, you need to fill up from an unknown petrol pump, you should only fill up the required amount and also use fuel additives.
• The air intake system is crucial for a healthy engine, and therefore, the air filter must be cleaned periodically and replaced at least once a year.
• You should get your engine serviced on time, and try to follow the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals. There is no harm in going in early for a service, if you feel that the engine has been used in harsh conditions since the last oil change.

Future of car engines in India

Car engines have come a long way in the last decade itself. However, with the push for cleaner fuels and alternative forms of propulsion such as electric motors heating up everyday, the future of engines remains up in the air. Over time, internal combustion engines will be phased out. The alternative scenario is that these engines will need to use carbon neutral fuels, and Porsche is working on making fuel which is made by extracting the carbon dioxide present in the air. In the short- to medium-term future, internal combustion engines will continue to power cars but electric motors could end up being the long term solution.

Conclusion

As we mentioned in the beginning, car engines are a complex piece of technology and hold the ability to confuse the most technologically-inclined people as well. However, with all the information given above, you will now be able to choose the right engine for yourself based on the factors that affect your driving cycle.

FAQs

Q. Which car engine is the best in India?

Maruti Suzuki makes some of the most dependable engines in the country. Its 1.2 litre and 1.5 litre petrol engines found in cars like the Baleno and Brezza, respectively, tend to stand out for their abilities. Honda is also renowned for its petrol engine with the 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine in the City and Elevate models known for its all-around capabilities.

Q. Which brand has the best car engine?

Toyota engines are known for their overall efficiency and reliability. However, Honda and Maruti Suzuki engines are considered to be dependable as well.

Q. Which car engine has a long life in India?

Toyota engines are known for having the longest lives in the Indian car market.

Q. Which car is best for long life in India?

Toyota cars are known for having some of the longest lifespans in the Indian car market.