What is the advantage of a bigger engine as opposed to a smaller one?
Toyota fits a 4,2-litre engine into the Land Cruiser that pro duces almost the same power and even less torque than the Land Rover 2,4-litre Defender.
Also, why does Land Rover use this engine in spite of the fact that it is less powerful than the Freelander’s 2,2-litre turbodiesel? Lastly, who told Land Rover that we don’t want a petrol engine?
GERALD MADAMOMBE – By e-mail
Engines are designed according to a number of criteria and power per litre is not high on the list, unless you’re designing a racing car.
However, in engines with the same construction and manufactured from the same alloys, power per litre is a measure of how long an engine will last.
This means that engines designed for workhorse vehicles such as the Land Cruiser and the Defender will be bigger for the same output than engines designed for a fun vehicle like the Freelander.
The Land Cruiser engine does not have a turbo, which is why the output is low, but this should make it very durable. Both Land Rover engines are turbocharged, but the Defender has a lower boost, which also increases its potential durability. It’s simply a case of different engines for different purposes.
Lastly, manufacturers the world over are concentrating on more economical engines with the result that in some cases petrol engines are being dropped from their range of models.
