Indians love their diesel engines, we look at the Top 5 small capacity diesel engines today at MotorBeam.

2018 Ford Freestyle Video Review
The Freestyle 1.5 TDCi is a joy to drive

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 Aspire Facelift Test Drive
The Aspire is one of the best cars to drive in its segment

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.