Shaping car power through engine

MOST CAR BUYERS often focus on the brand, style or even the newest technology features of the vehicle.

- Mhicole A. Moral

These features certainly matter, but beneath the polished exterior and flashing infotainment screens lies the heart of every vehicle: the engine.

The engine defines how a car moves, how it responds under pressure, and how efficiently it uses fuel. Simply put, the engine determines how well a car performs. Engine refers to what car makers call displacement; the total volume all the engine's cylinders can push through a mix of fuel and air. This is typically measured in cubic centimeters (cc) or liters. A 1,000 cc engine, for instance, is also called a 1.0-liter engine.

But size alone does not tell the whole story. How it is designed and tuned plays a big part in a car's power output and overall performance.

Horsepower is one of the most common ways to describe engine strength. It measures how much work the engine can do over time. In practical terms, more horsepower means quicker acceleration and better top-end performance.

That might sound appealing, but there is a trade-off as more horsepower usually requires more fuel. High-performance engines burn more gasoline to maintain power, which often results in lower miles per gallon (MPG). This is why car buyers often weigh performance against fuel economy.

CONSIDERING ENGINE DESIGN