Top 10 Most Powerful Vehicles With Four Cylinders

Published on February 7, 2022 in Top 10 by Guillaume Rivard

As you may have noticed, automakers are not only electrifying their vehicle lineups but also downsizing their engines in order to meet emissions targets and regulations. V12, V10 and even a growing number of V8 engines are dropping like flies.

Of course, engineers have a bag full of tricks to increase output and please performance enthusiasts. Here is a list of the 10 most powerful four-cylinder vehicles available in Canada in 2022 based on horsepower.

Notes:

  1. Only the most potent variant of a vehicle is considered.
  2. We included the Honda Civic Type R and Subaru WRX STI even though they’re on a hiatus. The new 2023 models will be revealed shortly.

10. Honda Civic Type R and Audi S3 (tie)
A new Civic Type R is coming soon as a 2023 model. Will its 2.0L turbo engine deliver more than 306 hp as it does now? Our fingers are crossed. Over at Audi, the S3 sedan generates similar output. Too bad the five-cylinder RS 3 won’t be sold in Canada after all…

9. Subaru WRX STI and Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra (tie)
The outgoing WRX STI cranks out 310 hp, but rumour has it the next-gen 2023 model will be significantly more potent. Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra equipped with the 2.7L four-cylinder engine also produce 310 hp. For 2022, torque is even increased to 420 lb-ft.

8. Volkswagen Golf R
The Car Guide’s Best New Car of 2022 (along with the Golf GTI) is a true hot hatch the way we love them. The 2.0L turbo engine now cranks out 315 hp, while torque is rated at 280 or 295 lb-ft depending if you choose the manual or automatic transmission.

7. Cadillac CT4-V
The new and spectacular Blackwing model gets a V6, but the regular, four-cylinder CT4-V still packs 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. Not bad at all.

6. Ford Mustang EcoBoost High Performance
While purists prefer the GT model and its 5.0L V8 engine, the Ford Mustang EcoBoost equipped with the High Performance Package delivers an impressive 330 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque.

5. Porsche 718 Cayman S/718 Boxster S
Porsche is synonymous with power. In S trim, the German brand’s entry-level sports cars use a turbocharged 2.5L flat-four engine to put out 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque.

4. Audi A6/A7/Q5 TFSI e
The combination of a 2.0L turbo engine with an electric motor gives this German trio 362 hp along with 369 lb-ft of torque.

3. Jeep Wrangler 4xe
In plug-in hybrid configuration, called 4xe, the Wrangler pairs its optional 2.0L turbo engine with two electric motors for a total of 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.

2. Mercedes-AMG CLA 45/GLA 45
Two of the smallest vehicles in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio deliver big-time power. Their 2.0L turbo mill serves up 382 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.

1. Volvo S60/V60/XC60 Recharge Polestar Engineered
Using both a supercharger and a turbocharged, plus an electric motor on top of that, these three plug-in hybrid models from Volvo elevate output up to 415 hp in Polestar Engineered trim.