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How is an inline engine different from a V6


Everyone who visits a showroom to purchase a car is told about the car engine specification to define the power it generates. Most small cars get an inline 4-cylinder engine while luxury cars are equipped with V engines.

How different are 4-cylinder engines from the V engines, especially the V6? To know the difference we will have to understand how the engine works.

Every cylinder contains a piston that compresses and releases a mixture of fuel and air to create pressure. The alternative motion of the pistons turns the crankshaft. The mixture of fuel and air is ignited by a spark plug to create combustion and eventually power to move the car.

It was believed that if the number of pistons is increased, more power could be generated. These pistons are aligned in a straight line and the engine is popularly known as an inline engine. Small cars are installed with an inline 4-cylinder engine. In a V6 engine, the cylinders are aligned in a V-shape thus the name. The V-shaped engine is considered more powerful than the traditional inline-4 engine.

An inline 4-cylinder engine occupies a long yet narrow space. These engines are placed at right angle from the bonnet lid and occupy a small space. This helps to create a short bonnet. Inline-4 engines are less priced.

To understand V6, let us understand an inline 6-cylinder engine. Basically, it is built of two mirrored three cylinder engines. The result is that the two sets of vibrations cancel each other out removing all possibility of vibrations in the car. That is why 6-cylinder engines are smoother.

There are two kinds of angles - 60 degrees and 90 degrees - used in V6 engines. A V6 engine has two pistons - one on the left and the other on the right cylinder bank shared by a crank pin. The crank pins are split and shifted to avoid vibration between the two sets. A V6 occupies a smaller space than a longer inline 4-cylinder engine. Hence, the manufacturer saves cost and space. However, it consumes more petrol/diesel than an inline engine. Also, the production cost of a V6 is much higher than the inline engine. In terms of performance, the inline 6-cylinder is superior to V6.

Americans have been using V-Series engines for a long time. However, European and Japanese car manufacturers have stuck to the inline engines for their fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Indian car manufacturers have only recently started using V series engine. We have to wait to see if it will be successful in India.
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