Indians love their diesel engines, we look at the Top 5 small capacity diesel engines today at MotorBeam.
Best Diesel Engines
Small diesel engine powered cars are usually popular among those buyers that have long running and those who want good fuel economy. However, along with the practicality on offer, some small diesel engines offer fantastic performance too. We list out the 5 best small capacity diesel engines that are available in the Indian market right now.
Ford 1.5 TDCi
Ford has proved itself to be one of the best diesel engine manufacturers. However, Ford has a real gem in its 1.5-litre TDCi engine. This engine has now been enjoying quite an amount of popularity amongst car buyers. Not only is the 1.5 TDCi engine impressively fuel efficient but is also equally fun to drive.
It is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel setup that produces 99 HP at 3750 RPM. This makes it the most powerful diesel engine in the hatchback segment. Moreover, it’s the torque output that really makes this engine irreplaceable. There’s plenty of torque on offer here, 215 Nm to be exact. It comes up from as low as 1750 RPM while continuously making progress till 3000 RPM.
The low-range and mid-range is where the engine works like a charm, however, power tapers off near the redline. This engine loves cruising at speeds of 110-120 km/hr, this is where the engine feels very refined. Ford has worked hard to keep NVH levels at a minimum, even during idling. Even when driven enthusiastically, the engine never disappoints. It pulls cleanly and strongly from down low, delivering power relentlessly across the rev range.
Ford currently uses the 1.5 TDCi engine to power the Figo, Aspire, Freestyle and EcoSport in its portfolio. While there are minor performance differences among these cars, they drive more or less in a similar way. Ford claims an average fuel economy in between 23-26.1 km/l for the 1.5 TDCi engine, depending on the car it is being used in.
Volkswagen 1.5 TDI
Volkswagen’s diesel engines have always been the talk of the town for quite some time now. Majority of these times, these engines were talked about in a negative perspective, thanks to Volkswagen’s dieselgate scandal. However, it is a proven fact that the German brand does know how to make their diesel engines. Volkswagen sells two versions of the TDI engine in India, a 1.5 TDI and a 2.0 TDI.
The 1.5 TDI engine from Volkswagen is a 1.5-litre 16V 4-cylinder diesel engine. It is offered in two states of tune in India. The engine with lower power output is good for 89 HP that comes up at 4200 RPM while 230 Nm torque is available at 1500-2500 RPM. Additionally, the higher state of tune 1.5 TDI engine develops 108.5 HP of peak power at 4000 RPM while the 250 Nm of torque is available at 1500-3000 RPM.
The 1.5 TDI engine is a very enthusiastic engine. It has excellent drivability in the city while also being a true blue highway cruiser. Both the tunes of the 1.5 TDI engine feel punchy to drive with really good low-range and mid-range. This Volkswagen diesel engine also loves to redline when revved as compared to other engines in this segment. NVH and refinement levels are commendable as well, if not the segment best.
Volkswagen uses the 89 HP 1.5 TDI engine only with the standard Polo. Other cars like the Polo GT TDI, Vento TDI and Ameo TDI use the 1.5 TDI engine in its higher state of tune. While the lower state of tune engine has a claimed fuel efficiency of 20.14 km/l, the 108.5 HP engine returns 21.49 km/l to 22 km/l, depending on the car.
Hyundai 1.4 U2 CRDi
Hyundai has established itself as a carmaker that makes extremely refined cars. Particularly, Hyundai’s diesel engines have a fan following of their own for very obvious reasons. The 1.4 CRDi engine from the Korean carmaker is no exception. It delivers great performance and segment above refinement levels. Moreover, the 1.4 CRDi has marked itself as one of the most fuel-efficient engines.
The 1.4 CRDi engine from Hyundai is a 1.4-litre 4-cylinder U2 diesel engine that is made with cast iron block and aluminium cylinder head. It uses a chain-driven DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder. The engine generates 89 HP of peak power at 4000 RPM, the 220 Nm of peak torque is available at 1500-2750 RPM.
This Hyundai engine’s refinement is what has helped earn it such a good name in the car market. NVH levels are nothing short of surreal. There is virtually no vibrations whatsoever, even at idling speed while the diesel clatter is mellow enough to be covered by your AC or music system. City driving is very convenient with ample low-end torque while overtaking on highways are effortless as well with the good mid-range.
Hyundai currently sells the 1.4 U2 CRDi engine with the i20, base trims of the Verna (E and EX) and also E Plus and S trims of the Creta. The 1.4 CRDi engine returns between 22.1 km/l to 24 km/l, depending on the car and variant.
Toyota 1.4 D-4D
Every time one hears the Toyota, there’s that bell of ‘reliability’ that rings in your head. Well, Toyota has worked hard to make their brand’s name go along with the word ‘reliability’. Toyota’s 1.4 D-4D engine has been very popular amongst Indians, thanks to its hassle-free ownership experience. This has made cars like the Etios a favourite for fleet owners.
The 1.4 D-4D engine from Toyota is a 1.4-litre 8V 4-cylinder diesel engine. Toyota offers the 1.4 D-4D in two states of tune in our market. The engine with lower power output is good for 67 HP that comes up at 3800 RPM while 170 Nm of torque is available at 1800-2400 RPM. Additionally, the higher state of tune 1.4 D-4D engine develops 87 HP of peak power at 3800 RPM while the 205 Nm of torque is available at 1800-2800 RPM.
Both iterations of the 1.4 D-4D engine feel very relaxed to drive. There surely isn’t much power or torque on offer but these engines do deliver enough for a comfortable cruise. There is some turbo-lag below 2000 RPM especially in the engine with 87 HP of tune. However, city driving is quite effortless. It is only on the highways that you crave for that extra bit of power. NVH and refinement levels are commendable as well, if not the segment best.
Toyota uses the 67 HP 1.4 D-4D engine with the Etios Liva, Etios and Etios Cross. Only the Corolla Altis gets the 87 HP D-4D engine, which still isn’t anywhere near to what other carmakers offer in this segment. While the lower state of tune engine has a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.59 km/l, the 87 HP engine returns 21.43 km/l.
Honda 1.5 i-DTEC
It’s no secret how Honda has dominated the sales of petrol engines globally under the ‘i-VTEC’ moniker. However, the Japanese carmaker was not into manufacturing diesel engines until recent years when they launched the ‘i-DTEC’ brand. No surprises here, Honda’s diesel engine caught up equally well, especially in the Indian market. Honda’s 1.5 i-DTEC is easily one of the most frugal performers in the Indian car industry.
Honda’s 1.5 i-DTEC engine is a 1.5-litre 16V 4-cylinder setup that produces a peak power of 99 HP at 3600 RPM. This makes it one of the most powerful diesel engines across the hatchback, compact sedan and C-segment sedan segment. There’s about 200 Nm of torque to play with, that comes in from as low as 1750 RPM. This Honda engine loves to redline even though there’s not much top-end power.
The low-end and mid-range is where this engine really shines. This engine loves highway cruising at speeds of 110-120 km/hr, this is where the engine feels very refined. City driving with this engine is completely trouble-free. It does not require constant gearshifts, thanks to the negligible lag. NVH levels are not the best, the diesel clatter filters through the cabin. However, it does respond very well to occasional flooring of the accelerator pedal and pulls strongly till the redline.
Honda supplies the 1.5 i-DTEC engine in the Amaze, City, WR-V, BR-V and Jazz. Now, Honda’s i-DTEC engine might not compete that well with its competitors in terms of performance but there’s no carmaker that can match the i-DTEC’s fuel efficiency figures. Honda claims an average fuel economy in between 21.7-27.4 km/l for the 1.5 i-DTEC engine, depending on the car.
