These are the best three-cylinder engines on the market

We review the engine units that, based on their behaviour and homologated data, stand out the most and, for that reason, were nominated for or received the award as the best three-cylinder engines

Engine downsizing, the reduction of engine displacement, is becoming increasingly widespread. That is why it is necessary to analyse which are the best three-cylinder engines on the market today.

Those days when delivering high performance required engines of large displacement are long gone.

Reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, polluting gas emissions so as to meet ever more stifling anti-pollution regulations has led manufacturers to reduce the number of engine cylinders.

Far from being a problem, this technological adaptation has settled into customers’ minds, and its acceptance is more than complete, breaking the long-standing association between a small engine and low power, in pursuit of a sustainability that even offers smaller engines with greater power than their closest equivalents.

The best three-cylinder engines: Ford Ecoboost 1.0

Ford was one of the manufacturers that, at the start of this decade, bet on the generalisation of three-cylinder engines. The Ford Ecoboost engine family, based on the modest 1.0-litre block, is capable of producing three different power outputs: 100, 125 and up to 140 hp, found in the hugely popular Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus, not forgetting the SUV range, with the Ford EcoSport as the paradigm of these engines among crossovers.

Taking the mid-size model among these three as a reference, the Ford Focus Trend 1.0 EcoBoost 100 hp has a homologated average consumption of 4.7 litres and CO2 emissions of 107 g/km.

The best three-cylinder engines: Volkswagen TSI 1.0

And I name this unit as Volkswagen, although it should be borne in mind that this engine is present in the most mainstream brands of the Volkswagen Group as one of the most popular engines, since this three-cylinder block is fitted to models that are either best-selling number ones or, at the very least, among the best sellers. And for good reason.

From the national compact par excellence, the Seat León, through the fashionable SUV Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0 TSI, to its sibling, the city car Volkswagen Polo, not forgetting the saloon of the Czech cousins with the Skoda Octavia, all of them have the same three-cylinder block and 999 cubic centimetres of displacement under their bonnets.

A block with more than adequate power in the models mentioned, 115 hp, average consumption of around 5 litres and emissions between 107 and 117 g/km, its best feature is undoubtedly its agile behaviour and, mounted in bodies such as that of the road test of the Volkswagen T-Roc, they make for dynamic, fun and comfortable driving combinations.

The best three-cylinder engines: Volvo T3

Having won the award as Car of the Year 2018, the Volvo XC40 confirmed what we all knew: that it is one of the best new cars on the market.

Whether SUVs are a fashion or not, their handling and, above all, the comfort and sensations their driving delivers justify choosing them.

As does offering a range of engines: the T4 at 190, the T5 at 247 hp and finally the T3 engine of Volvo, a 1,477 cc three-cylinder that reduced its output to a not-to-be-sneezed-at 156 hp and 265 Nm of torque, more than enough to move this crossover without compromising its good dynamic qualities one iota. The homologated consumption for the Volvo XC40 T3 is 6.2 litres of fuel and emissions of 144 grams, placing it at the limits of Euro 6.

Furthermore, this three-cylinder Volvo engine is the one chosen to be paired with hybrid technology, which will allow us to see in 2019 a three-cylinder hybrid unit in the Volvo range.

The best three-cylinder engines: Peugeot PureTech

As with the 1.0 TSI engines of the Volkswagen Group, the PureTech engines of the PSA group brands (Peugeot, Citroën, DS and Opel) offer good behaviour, especially in the bodies and chassis of the Peugeot 308 and the DS7 Crossback.

In the case of the Peugeot 308 PureTech 110 S/S, driving this compact is more than pleasant. A smooth and progressive 1,199 cc, 110 hp engine which, although not a powerhouse in terms of sportiness, is very agreeable in terms of responsiveness. Its homologated consumption for extra-urban driving is 3.9 litres per 100 km and emissions of 110 g/km.

Its cousin, the new and dazzling DS 7 Crossback, is a fashionable SUV, or for fashion, or by fashion, since, with the elegance of a French haute couture suit, its interior and exterior look is complemented by the outstanding response of the 1.2 PureTech three-cylinder engine: 130 hp that transforms this elegant crossover, lets its hair down and offers a dynamism more typical of a relatively sporty compact than of a family SUV.

The average consumption of 5.3 litres and emissions of 121 g/km are higher than in the case of the 110 hp unit, a configuration not available for the DS 7 range, but even so, far from being off-putting, they make the 130 hp Peugeot three-cylinder engine stand out.