The power of a car depends on horsepower, power or torque? Is the greater the horsepower, the better the power?

Does the power of a car look at horsepower, power, or torque? Is the greater the engine horsepower, the better the power of the car?
Many people believe that the greater the horsepower and torque of a car engine, the better the car’s power. In fact, this is not the case. Horsepower/power and torque are the performance parameters of the engine, which are completely different from the dynamic parameters of the car. In other words, the power performance of the engine is only an influencing factor of the power of the car, but it is not a decisive factor.

First, let’s take a look at the difference between engine power and car power. The so-called engine power refers to the power of the engine. It only refers to the engine, and has nothing to do with the vehicle type. The performance of the engine is measured on the engine performance test bench. The indicators for evaluating engine power are effective torque, effective power, speed and average effective pressure. The higher these indexes, the better the engine’s power performance. The power of a car refers to the average driving speed that can be achieved when the car is driving in a straight line on a good road, which is determined by the longitudinal external force received by the car. It is measured in actual driving, and the main evaluation indicators are the maximum speed, acceleration time and maximum gradeability. The higher these indicators, the better the power of the car. For ordinary family cars, acceleration time is the most direct indicator of power performance. It should be noted that the power of a car reflects the comprehensive capabilities of the car, including engine, gearbox, chassis, body, etc., not just the performance of the engine. The factors that affect the power of a car include the power and torque of the engine, the technical condition of the engine, the number of gears and the transmission ratio of the gearbox, the transmission of the final drive, the quality of the car, the radius of the tire, and the conditions of the car. Engine power performance is only one of the factors that affect the power of a car, but it is not the decisive factor. For the same model, of course, the better the engine’s power performance, the better the car’s power. For example, for Volkswagen Sagitar, the acceleration time from 100 kilometers to 100 kilometers for a model equipped with a 1.2T engine is more than 11 seconds, while the acceleration time from 100 kilometers for a model equipped with a 1.4T engine is only 8.7 seconds; In just over 11 seconds, the acceleration time from 100 kilometers for a model equipped with a 1.5T engine is over 9 seconds. Obviously, for the same model, the greater the engine horsepower, the better the car’s power. But for different models, even if equipped with the same powertrain, the car also shows completely different dynamics. For example, it is also equipped with a 1.4T+ seven-speed dry dual-clutch powertrain. The golf acceleration time is 8.6 seconds to 100 kilometers, the Magotan acceleration time is 9.1 seconds to 100 kilometers, and the Audi Q3 takes 9.8 seconds. The engine power and torque of these models are the same, but the dynamics of the cars are quite different. For models of different brands and the same level, it is even more meaningless to simply compare engine parameters. Such as Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf. The maximum power of the Honda Civic engine is 130Kw and the car weight is 1353 kg; the maximum power of the Volkswagen Golf engine is only 110Kw, and the car weight is 1360 kg. However, the acceleration time from 100 kilometers for the Golf is only 8.6 seconds, while the acceleration time from 100 kilometers for the Honda Civic takes 9.6 seconds. Obviously, the power of the golf is better. Let’s take another extreme example: the comparison between a big truck and a small car. There is no doubt that the engine power and torque of a large truck is much greater than that of a small car, but the power of a large truck is much worse than that of a small car. For example, the maximum power of the Jiefang J6 engine is 350 horsepower, its maximum speed is 110 km/h, the acceleration time from 100 kilometers is more than 40 seconds, and the maximum gradeability is 32%; while the maximum power of the Volkswagen Jetta engine is only 110 horsepower, and its maximum speed is It is 185 km/h, the acceleration time from 100 km/h is 11.2 seconds, and the maximum gradeability is 42%. Analyzed from these three dimensions, the power of the Jetta sedan completely outperforms the Jiefang J6 truck. If you compare it with other models, the result is the same. The power of the car is better than that of the truck. Therefore, it is one-sided and inaccurate to judge the power performance of a car solely from the engine power parameters. For example, the engine parameters of BMW cars are lower than most models of the same level, and even lower than those of many domestic cars. However, few people say that BMW cars have poor power performance. The matching and tuning of the car are better, and the power performance is fully brought into play. If we want to know the power of a car, the best way is to test drive. Only in driving can we truly feel whether the power of the car can meet your needs. If you can’t test drive, you can also look at its 100 kilometers acceleration time, which is the simplest and most direct dynamic parameter. Another thing is to look at the power-to-weight ratio of the car. Generally, the power-to-weight ratio is above 100 horsepower/ton, and the power is all right.