Common Car Specifications Explained

1. Engine
2. 4-cylinder, 3-cylinder, etc.
3. Displacement - Eg. 1259cc or 1.3-litre
4. 5-speed transmission, 6-speed transmission, etc.
5. Power - For Eg. 75 hp
6. Torque - Eg. 200 Nm
7. Drivetrain
8. Suspension
9. Fuel tank capacity –
10. Wheelbase
11. Tread/track width
12. Turning radius
13. Kerb weight
14. Airbags
15. ABS, EBD

CYLINDERS
A cylinder is the power unit of an engine; it’s the chamber where the gasoline is burned and turned into power.
(For more on what goes on inside the cylinders, see How Engines Work.) Most cars and SUV enginess have
four, six, or eight cylinders. Generally, an engine with more cylinders produces more power, while an engine
with fewer cylinders gets better fuel economy.

Cylinders will either be arranged in a straight line (an inline engine, i.e. “inline 4”, “I4” or “L4” ) or in two rows (a
V engine, i.e. “V8”).

DISPLACEMENT (LITERS AND CUBIC INCHES)

Engines are measured by displacement, usually expressed in liters (L) or cubic centimeters (cc). Displacement
is the total volume of all the cylinders in an engine. An engine with four cylinders of 569cc each totals 2276cc,
and will be rounder off and referred to as a 2.3 liter engine. Larger engines tend to produce more power —
specifically more torque (see below) — but use more fuel.

Up until the early 1980s, engines were measured in cubic inches. One liter equals about 61 cubic inches, so a
350 cubic inch engine is about 5.7 liters.
TURBOCHARGERS

A turbocharger is a device that is used to boost the power of an engine. A four-

cylinder engine with a turbocharger can produce as much power as a six-cylinder engine, but uses less fuel
when driven gently. (For more information, see How Turbochargers and Superchargers Work.) Engines with a
turbo sometimes get a T after their displacement; “2.0T” denotes a 2-liter engine with a turbocharger.

HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE

Horsepower and torque measure the amount of power an engine develops, with horsepower being the most
commonly-used measurement. The difference between horsepower and torque is widely misunderstood (and
difficult to explain).

Torque, which is measured in pound-feet (lb-ft or ft-lbs), measures pulling power; when you step on the gas
pedal and the seat pushes into your back, you are feeling torque. Trucks need lots of torque to get their heavy
loads moving. Horsepower is a function of torque and engine speed (RPM), and indicates how much sustained
work the car can do. Racing cars need high horsepower to maintain high speeds. Generally, bigger-
displacement engines develop more torque, but small engines can spin faster, which increases their
horsepower output.

A car with high horsepower but low torque may feel sluggish from a stop, but will feel stronger as the engine
spins faster and faster. A high-torque, low-hp engine will accelerate strongly from a stop, but will trail off as the
engine speeds up (until the transmission shifts gears).

Horsepower and torque measurements are “peak” numbers; a 180 horsepower engine will only produce 180
horsepower at a certain engine speed — say, 6,000 RPM. At other speeds, the engine develops less
horsepower. The same goes for torque, although some engines (especially those with turbochargers) have a
sustained peak-torque range, developing their rated torque between, say, 1,800 and 4,000 RPM. An engine
with strong mid-range torque (peaking between 2,000 and 4,000 RPM) will have good passing acceleration,
while lot of low-end torque (below 1,500 RPM) is useful for towing trailers or driving off-road. However, cars
with high-torque engines are more likely to slip and slide in rain and snow.

All that said, other factors, such as how much the car weighs, will affect acceleration. How the vehicle feels
when you drive it is more important than the horsepower and torque ratings.
1. Engine

The engine is like the heart of the car. It is a machine that converts power into motion or produces the
force that propels the vehicle into motion. Engines commonly see three types - petrol (runs on gasoline),
diesel (powered by diesel), electric (powered by batteries) and hybrid (using a combination of a fuel-
driven engine and an electric one). Vroom vroom is the sound a big engine makes.

2. 4-cylinder, 3-cylinder, etc.

A cylinder is a ‘chamber' (to describe it loosely) where fuel is ignited to power the car into motion. So a
4-cylinder engine will have four of these compartments, a 3-cylinder, three, and so on. The cylinder
houses a piston or large valve that creates compression that helps ignite the fuel.

3. Displacement - Eg. 1259cc or 1.3-litre

The measurement of the volume of the engine's cylinders or ‘chambers' is called displacement and is
measured in litters or cubic centimeters. So if you see "1259cc", it means the volume of the cylinders
together is 1259 cubic centimetres. "1.3-litre" on a spec sheet is just another way of saying the same
thing, although not as precise, and means the volume of the cylinders is 1.3 litres in total.

4. 5-speed transmission, 6-speed transmission, etc.

Much like you would choose different gears on a bicycle for varying inclines and pace, you need to
choose gears depending on the speed of the car or the road situation. A 5-speed transmission has 5
gears or speeds you can choose from while driving or riding. A manual transmission is one that requires
you to change speeds manually, while an automatic transmission picks gears automatically, requiring
you to only operate the brakes and accelerator.

5. Power - For Eg. 75 hp

The easiest way to understand this is the unit of power-horsepower. One horsepower is informally
defined as the amount of power one horse gives while pulling. So if your car has 75 horsepower, it has
the pulling power of 75 thoroughbreds. To be a little more physicistical, it is the power required to raise
550 pounds a distance of one foot in one second.

6. Torque - Eg. 200 Nm

Torque is the ability (of the engine) to do work or a force that tends to cause rotation of the wheels in
the case of a car or bike. Torque is measured in Newton Metres (Nm) and is usually higher in diesel
engines when compared to similarly sized petrol ones. Vehicles with higher torque usually allow fewer
gear changes, if set up well.

7. Drive train

This is the system in a vehicle that connects the transmission or gearbox to the drive axles and is broken
down into three main categories - front wheel drive (FWD), rear wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive
(4x4/4WD/AWD). FWD means the power goes to the front wheels, therefore ‘pulling the car', RWD
means the ‘push' comes from the rear wheels, and AWD means all four wheels transfer power.

8. Suspension

The suspension is the system of springs and shock absorbers that connect the vehicle to its wheels is
designed to reduce the shock of bumps and potholes, and contribute to the way your car handles or
behaves on the road.

9. Fuel tank capacity –

For Eg. 35 litres The total amount of fuel your car or bike can store, which usually includes the volume of
the reserve and measured in litres, is the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle. You can calculate the
approximate range your vehicle is capable of by multiplying the capacity with the mileage of the car.

10. Wheelbase

The distance between the front and rear axles (the rods connecting the centres of the wheels) of a
vehicle is known as its wheelbase. Generally, the longer the wheelbase, the larger the cabin of the car
can be, therefore leading to more interior room. Wheelbase is usually measured in millimetres.

11. Tread/track width

The distance from tire centre to tire centre, measured width-of-the-car-wise, is called tread or track
width. Usually, the wider the track width, the more stable and better around the corners car is.The
treads is usually denoted in millimeters as well.

12. Turning radius

The radius of the smallest or tightest circular turn (or U-Turn) a car is capable of making is known as
turning radius. It is used measured in metres-small cars generally, have a turning radius of around 5
metres.

13. Kerb weight

Kerb weight is the weight of the car without any occupants or cargo and is usually denoted in
kilogrammes. Small cars in India usually have a kerb weight hovering around the 1000-kilogram mark,
while larger luxury vehicles can weigh more than double that.

14. Airbags

A rapidly inflatable cushion that is designed to protect the driver or passenger(s) in the event of a
collision. Nowadays even cars in cheaper segments are beginning to feature airbags (at least for the
driver) in the country, after decades of being behind the rest of the world in this regard.

15. ABS, EBD

ABS is an acronym for Anti-Lock Braking System, a system that prevents the wheels locking or skidding in
the event of hard braking. You will feel the brake pedal vibrate when the system is activated, but this is
normal functioning. EBD or Electronic Brake Distribution varies the amount of braking force on each
wheel according to road conditions, traction, and other factors.