Humanity’s obsession with chic cars is a never-ending phenomenon, while the top car engine manufacturers that power these cutting-edge wonders are key enablers of the automotive revolution that is currently underway around the world. Here’s a listing of the largest car engine manufacturers that are set to consolidate their advantages even further in the next five years and beyond.
Global Automotive Engine Market Trends
Technavio’s automotive engine market report identifies that the introduction of variable valve timing engine for better performance will be one of the major factors that will have a positive impact on the growth of the market. Additionally, the sensors used in the variable valve timing engine system are not commonly used in any conventional systems, as it is placed at the camshaft and the crankshaft to identify the rotation speed and the position of the valves.
The development of multi-fuel engines will be one of the latest trends that will gain traction in the automotive engine market during the next four years. Multi-fuel engines work on various fuels including diesel oil and crude oil to the lighter oils such as gasoline. To avoid knocking and improve efficiency, the high-performance engines such as multi-fuel engines usually have higher compression ratios and higher-octane ratings.
Technavio’s market research predicts that the automobile engine market will grow at a CAGR of about 3% by 2021.
For more information about the global automotive engine market size, top car engine manufacturers, and future trends in this market, please check Technavio’s Global Automotive Engine Market Report 2017-2021, or download your FREE Global Automotive Engine Market Report Sample now!
Top 5 Car Engine Manufacturers Leading the Global Automotive Industry 2018
Honda
A premier automotive manufacturer, Japan based Honda Motor Company, Ltd. has also consistently led the charts when it comes to the world’s leading car engine manufacturers. Honda engines have earned wide acclaim for their refined performance and fuel efficiency.
Honda’s VTEC technology has been the keystone for its success as one of the most globally preferred car engine brands. The company’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) engines are a clever modification of the traditional four-stroke combustion engines wherein the engine’s operation is optimized in line with the demand placed upon the engine’s internal mechanics. Simply put, at low ‘revolution per minute’ (rpm) as generated by the engine, the fuel efficiency is ramped up. Alternatively, when the rpm is high, consistent and high power is achieved. The VTEC technology is a signature Honda product and isn’t found on cars from other manufacturers.
Key highlights:
- Honda’s NSX engine was voted ‘Best Newcomer’ at the International Engine of the Year Awards, 2017.
- In 2018, the company is touted as the world’s largest engine manufacturer for internal combustion engines, shipping as many as 14 million units each year.
Find out Honda’s market share and revenues in global automotive engine market
Toyota
Japanese multinational automotive corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, has always been one of the world’s leading car engine manufacturers. Toyota’s acclaimed car engine manufacturing process has yielded some absolutely revered units, including the legendary GT-One Le Mans engines, the inline 6-cylinder 2JZ-GTE, and the brutally powerful 1LR-GUE with its 9,000 rpm.
Toyota is known for manufacturing fuel efficient and practical engines that last for ages. A big contributor to this aura is the success that Toyota has enjoyed amongst the horde of multinational car engine brands, thanks to its strategic collaborations and participation in international racing events that highlight the efficiency of its automobiles and in turn, the classic Toyota engine.
Key highlights:
- A big number of Toyota engines have won the prestigious Ward’s 10 Best Engine Award.
- Toyota’s 2ZZ-GE has garnered a cult following amongst enthusiasts in recent times, thanks to its ease of procurement, upgrade and functionality.
- The company’s reliable diesel engines, the 2B and 3B, are known to last half a million miles.
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Volkswagen
Top German automotive company, Volkswagen Group, dominates other car engine manufacturers across a number of global markets, on the back of its wide range of petrol, diesel, electric and hybrid engines. As the owner of such brands as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Skoda and its own line of VW cars, Volkswagen sports a dominant footprint when it comes to popular car engine brands.
In 2018, the company exhibited three new engines at the Vienna Motor Symposium that will add to its already extensive lineup of internal combustion engines. Due by 2020, the engines include a 48V mild hybrid, a 1.5 TGI natural gas engine and a 2.0-litre mild hybrid diesel engine. The company’s onus herein is to build engines that offer functional reliability, top fuel efficiency and reduced emission levels. As part of this quest, Volkswagen is investing heavily on R&D to further refine its car engine manufacturing process.
Key highlights:
- In 2016, Volkswagen announced the ‘Strategy 2025’, a roadmap to dominantly include electric automobiles as part of its global product portfolio by the year 2025. The company plans to offer 25 electric models and 20 plug-in hybrids by the year 2020.
- Though based in Europe, the Volkswagen Group operates in 153+ countries around the world.
- VW is building a name for itself for its car engine manufacturing process that fine tunes relatively small engines for optimal use. A good example here is the proposed adoption of the less powerful 1.4 liter engine for the 2019 variant VW Golf, while taking into consideration the upgraded transmission system that will ensure an unchanged power output.
View related market report: Global Automotive Engine Oil Market 2018-2022
Hyundai
South Korean automotive giant, Hyundai Motor Group, is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, therefore, finding an easy spot amongst the biggest car engine manufacturers in the world. The company’s take on the Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) option has resulted in the Hyundai GDI engine, that is being touted as one of the most refined end products of the modern car engine manufacturing process.
The company’s present lineup of globally retailed car engines include the petrol Kappa series (1.0/1.2/1.25/1.4/1.6 L), The V6 variants including the Delta series (2.0/2.5/2.7 L), Mu (2.7 L), Sigma (3.0/3.5 L) and Lambda series (3.0/3.3/3.5/3.8 L), as also the V8 variants, and the similarly positioned diesel engines.
Key highlights:
- Hyundai’s first in-house engine development was the 1.5 liter petrol engine named Alpha. The company spent a whopping US$ 125,000,000 on its development- a record amongst the various car engine brands.
- Hyundai Accent, a compact sedan, sold 1,545,000 units in its first year of production, 3,94,259 of which were exported out of the country. This stat still remains as a South Korean record, while the Accent has garnered a lot of positivity for Hyundai’s car engine manufacturing process from a global audience.
View related market report: Global Commercial Vehicle Clutch Market Report
General Motors
General Motors Company or more commonly, GM, is a Detroit US based automotive giant. The company manufactures and retails its vehicles in over 37 countries under a number of popular brand names, including Chevrolet, Ravon, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Jie Fang, etc.
GM has always been a market leader when it came to the R&D, testing and development of cutting edge car engines. Currently, GM has regrouped its trademark GM Powertrain Division into the GM Global Propulsion Systems, the latter still affording GM the status of one of the largest car engine manufacturers in the world.
The company holds great proficiency in the production of automotive gasoline engines in the 2-cylinder, 3-cylinder, 4-cylinder, 5-cylinder, 6-cylinder, 8-cylinder, 12-cylinder, 16-cylinder and gasoline-electric hybrid configurations. Also, rounding off this portfolio are the 4,6 and 8-cylinder automotive diesel engines. GM engines are known for their high power output and need for limited maintenance.
Key highlights:
- Through the 1950- 1970s, every GM division had its signature V8 engine family. However, today, this has been streamlined to include just two V8 families across the board: Generation IV small-block and Generation V small-block.
- GM has sourced its engines from other car engine brands before, including Suzuki and Daewoo for its 3-cylinder portfolio. However, in recent times, GM produces its engines inhouse through a car engine manufacturing process that is highly regarded for its next-gen attributes.
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Profiles for other world’s top engine makers in the global automotive engine market can be seen in this report:
