Call it a sign of the times or a sign of technology, but if you’ve been looking at a luxury sedan lately you noticed something new under all their hoods.
BMW has long been known for their silky inline six. Competitors Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti and others have always followed suit with standard six-cylinder engines in their sedans too.
In the last year however the entry-level models from all these brands are now starting off with 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines.
The BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class have done so now for at least a year.
Lexus just introduced their own 2.0 liter turbo four in the 2016 IS 200t, no longer making fun of the competition in their commercials for not offering a standard six like they did.
And Infiniti has just announced this month they too will offer a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the 2016 Q50 sedans.
That engine by the way is the very same one under the hood of the Mercedes, as the two share that powerplant through a joint venture.
And ironically, their power levels across the board are almost all identical. Mercedes has 241 horsepower which is likely to be identical to the Infiniti.
Lexus also comes in at 241, and BMW at 240 horses for their top four popper.
There must just be some magic to that 2.0 liter size as they all stuck to it. Of course, you an option a six-cylinder in all of these cars if the four-cylinder kills your buzz.
