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The end of 3-cylinder engines? Find out why manufacturers are abandoning this configuration and which are the main models that still use this type of engine.
The future of 3-cylinder engines has generated a lot of discussion, especially on social media. Criticism and heated opinions appear on YouTube profiles and channels, where many “experts” claim that these thrusters are fragile or disposable. However, reality tells a different story: andThese compact engines will power about half of the passenger cars sold in the first quarter of 2024. With surprising energy efficiency and performance, 3-cylinder engines are far from disposable — and continue to gain space in the global market.
A little bit of the history of 3-cylinder engines in Brazil and around the world
Could the end of 3-cylinder engines really be coming? According to National Federation of Motor Vehicle Distribution (Fenabrave), from January to March 2024, 376.691 cars were registered. Of this total, 203,4 thousand were equipped with 1.0 engines.
However, only the Fiat Mobi (which has just over 14 units) still uses a 1.0 block with 4 cylinders. All the others have 3-cylinder engines, that is, of the 376 cars registered, 188.735 of them use a 3-cylinder engine, not counting part of the 1.131 units of the X1 and Series 1, which use a 1.5 turbo three-cylinder unit.
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3-cylinder engines have been on the market for 71 years. It was developed by the German company DKW (with a two-stroke cycle), and was even sold in Brazil by the famous Vemaguet. In the 1970s, the three-cylinder block became more sophisticated and gained popularity on the Japanese market as a solution to replace the two-cylinder engines of the old Kei Cars.
Is a 3 cylinder engine good?
Most modern 3-cylinder engines are derived from 4-cylinder blocks. Basically, one cylinder has been removed. In Europe, 1.2-cylinder blocks are still common, having been developed from 1.6-cylinder engines.
The manufacturers' main argument is that the three-piston block has less loss of thermal energy and friction, since it is smaller and has at least 25% of the moving parts, when compared to a 4-cylinder engine. Car engines lose a lot of energy to overcome the friction of their parts.
According to engineers, around 20% of engine power is lost through friction alone. With one less cylinder, the effort drops by around 15%. This leaves more energy to transfer to the wheels.
The trick was to combine the block with a turbocharger. This allowed for higher average power and torque than 2.0 naturally aspirated engines. This allowed manufacturers to comply with emissions requirements and offer performance.
End of 3-cylinder engines? Main cars with the engine in 2024
The disadvantages of the 3-cylinder engine are also significant, and among them is lower power, since, in general, it has less power than four-cylinder engines, which can affect the vehicle's performance, especially in high-load or high-speed situations.
Despite rumors of the end of 3-cylinder engines, the national market currently has at least 23 models equipped with three-cylinder engines, with displacements ranging from 1.0 to 1.5. Apparently, it will be difficult to escape this type of engine. Among the models are:
- Peugeot 208;
- Hyundai HB20S;
- BMW 1 Series;
- Fiat Argo;
- Volkswagen Virtus;
- Fiat Pulse;
- Fiat Strada;
- Chevrolet Onix Plus;
- Chevrolet Montana;
- Chevrolet Onix;
- Renault Kardian;
- Chevrolet Tracker;
- Volkswagen T-Cross;
- Hyundai HB20;
- Hyundai Creta;
- Fiat Fastback;
- Citroën C3;
- Renault Kwid;
- Citroën C3 Aircross;
- Volkswagen Nivus;
- BMW X1;
- Volkswagen Polo;
- Toyota GR Corolla;
- Mini Cooper.
Of course the reason is just one disposable one
There are good and bad 3-cylinder engines, just like there are 4, 6, 8… It is not the number of cylinders that determines whether an engine is good or bad.
Especially because VW's TSI has no relation whatsoever to the 3-cylinder GM or Hyundai.
Of course, the current 3 cylinders came with new technologies, and some gave (and some continue to give) problems.
Supercharging and direct injection are more complex, but they are reliable.
The oil-bathed belt is indeed a problem... But let's remember that the 3 cylinders of Fiat, Hyundai and Nissan (which is not the same as the Kwid and Sandero) use a chain, and the belt is dry.
And there are 4-cylinder engines that use a wet belt and cause problems (Amarok, new 4-cylinder ranger)
Brazil has to stop letting these bad things enter the country. Forget it, whoever thinks about buying a car didn't buy one with a 3-cylinder engine, no, I fell for that nonsense. I bought a Renault Logan 1.0 3-cylinder to work with an app. The worst thing I did in my life was I kept the car for a year, 8 months I only spent in the garage. The car broke down on me. Here's a tip.
Three-cylinder engines, go to a mechanic's shop and you'll have the answer.
Can you trust an article about engines written by a journalist specializing in SEO (for those who don't know, SEO is the name given to techniques for increasing the number of hits without using paid advertising)?
Article piggybacking on the controversy, just to get more clicks, a bunch of disconnected information covering up a set of engineering solutions that are not reliable.
Here are just a few examples of questionable mechanical solutions that were adopted in these “modern” engines that are designed to operate at the limit, and have a low production cost, compromising durability, even under normal use conditions:
– oil-bathed rubber belt
– greater vibration (3 cylinders and four strokes present much greater vibration than 4 cylinders and 4 strokes).
– designed to not have grinding, older engines had 2 or 3 grindings as a design condition.
– higher operating temperatures in aluminum blocks and heads.
Whoever wants to buy it can do so. As for me, as a personal choice, I keep the same car for a few years. I avoid these “modern” concept engines and the high risk of having durability problems.
Exactly, an unbalanced engine, 3 cylinders in 4 strokes. At no point is this engine balanced. Similar to the infamous 13-inch rim, with 3 screws, it only exists in Brazil, India and similar countries... Just think a little, you don't need to be smart.