13 Cars That Prove Three-Pot Engines Are Awesome

One of the most prevalent trends in the world of cars nowadays is the three-cylinder engine. In truth, three-cylinders have been around for ages, being common in things like two-stroke Saabs. Nowadays, the three-cylinder has a different purpose: one cylinder less than the standard four-pot means better fuel efficiency and less emissions.

While they really don’t belong in a lot of cars, three-pot engines have experienced somewhat of a revolution over the past few years. They have found homes in all kinds of different performance cars and just in general awesome models that will definitely put a smile on your face while behind the wheel. These cars just prove, without a doubt, that three-pot engines are indeed awesome.

Toyota GR Yaris

This is an obvious one. Despite WRC rules no longer requiring homologation specials for the top class, Toyota built a homologation special Yaris anyway. The GR Yaris is one of the finest hot hatchbacks on the market right now, and there are several very good reasons for that.

As well as a bespoke three-door bodyshell, the GR Yaris’ 1.6-liter three-pot now puts out 300 hp that’s sent to all four wheels through a rally-spec AWD system with selectable power split options that can make you a drifting pro. The latest one even gets a rally-car-inspired dashboard.

Ford Fiesta ST

A moment of silence for this fallen soldier. The final Ford Fiesta ST, based on the final seventh-generation Fiesta, was quite the way for the little rocketship to go out. Gone was the 1.6-liter turbo four-banger of the previous one, and in its place came Ford’s pride and joy: the EcoBoost three-pot.

In the Fiesta ST, it displaced 1.5 liters and put out a plentiful 200 hp. As the Fiesta ST has proven, it’s not all about the speed; it’s about the smile on your face when you’re hammering it through corners. Still, the award-winning three-banger under the hood definitely does its job.

Renault Twingo GT

Let’s say you want your small hot hatchback to come with a healthy dose of… oversteer? That’s where the Renault Twingo GT comes in. A short-lived hot hatch version of the third generation Twingo, the GT had some minor exterior changes to show that it meant business.

The most meaningful upgrade came to the powertrain, however. The 0.9-liter turbo three-cylinder was turned up to 107 hp, which is plenty in a car that weighs almost nothing. Remember, this generation Twingo was rear-engined and RWD. You can think of it as a quarter-scale Porsche, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that in our books.

Volkswagen up! GTI

While we’re on the subject of tiny hot hatchbacks, the Volkswagen up! GTI is definitely worth a mention here. The Up! was around for over a decade, and due to it being a very grown-up small car, it became one of VW’s most successful models.

The GTI came much later in the production run. Power came from a turbocharged 1.0-liter I3, putting out 115 hp. That might not sound like a lot, but since the Up! Weighs basically nothing, it was far closer to the Mk1 Golf GTI, which is turning 50 this year, and that’s definitely something to be proud of. 

Toyota GR Corolla

Of course, we can’t leave out the GR Yaris’ big brother. The GR Corolla is the US market’s consolation prize for not getting the GR Yaris, and while it may not be quite as cool, it’s still cooler than most, and remains an incredibly impressive hot hatchback.

Powered by the same 1.6-liter as the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla puts out 300 hp and has three exhaust pipes — one for each cylinder. It’s also manual only, and you can even have it without rear seats. In a Corolla, a pantheon of the most reliable cars.

Morgan Super 3

Morgan definitely stirred the car world up with the launch of the Three-Wheeler a decade ago. Despite the car’s very niche appeal, it went on to prove that you don’t always need four wheels to make a cracking track car. The latest evolution of the formula comes in the form of the Super 3.

Gone is the S&S V-twin engine that powered the first generation, and in its place comes the same 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder as the above-mentioned Ford Fiesta ST. Power reaches the single rear wheel through a Mazda-sourced manual transmission. 

Toyota Aygo

Onto something a little different. The Toyota Aygo was Toyota’s answer to the booming A-segment in Europe, and it was born through a collaboration with the PSA Group, which would go on to release its own versions of the Aygo.

While a diesel engine was offered, the Aygo made the most sense with the tiny 1.0-liter naturally-aspirated three-cylinder that a lot of them had. While it wasn’t very powerful or sporty, it was built like a tank: it just kept going and going and going. If you take good care of it, it’s basically impossible to kill an Aygo.

Autozam AZ-1

One of the notable members of the kei sports car holy trinity, the Autozam AZ-1 was quite the exercise in design and engineering. The engine was in the middle, and the doors were of the gullwing variety. You know, like a classic Mercedes SL.

Power came from a turbocharged Suzuki three-cylinder mill, making the familiar 63 hp usually found in kei cars. It wasn’t fast in the slightest, but the engine was an engineering feat by itself: it revved to 9,000 RPM, and as many have said, the AZ-1 feels way faster than its numbers would lead you to believe. 

Caterham Seven 160 / 170

For the longest time, the Caterham Seven has used some form of Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine, making up to 310 hp in the supercharged Seven 620R. The Seven 160, recently updated to the Seven 170, is a completely different story.

The Duratec four-banger has been eschewed in favor of a turbo three-pot from Suzuki, making a comparatively small 80 hp. Even though that’s not a huge amount of power, this is still a Caterham Seven, so it weighs about 2 oz and is much easier to handle at the limit. Remember, slow car fast.

Koenigsegg Gemera 

This one is cheating slightly, as the production Gemera will not offer this powertrain. Still, it’s a crazy reminder of what could have been. When Koenigsegg’s first four-seater debuted in prototype form back in 2020, it had quite the powertrain combination.

The ICE part of its plug-in hybrid system was a 2.0-liter three-cylinder, nicknamed the Tiny Friendly Giant. A very appropriate name, as despite only having three cylinders, it put out 600 hp by itself. Combined with the electric motors, the TFG-powered Gemera promised 2,000 hp total.

Honda S660

A few years ago, Honda had the brilliant idea to revive and recapture some of the wonderful spirit of the original Beat sports car. The resulting Honda S660 was, to all intents and purposes, a modernized version of the original mid-engined classic.

The tiny 660cc straight three had a turbocharger, and while it only had 63 hp again, it revved to well over 7,000 RPM. For a modern, small, turbocharged engine, that’s really impressive. Sadly, Honda never offered the S660 in export markets, and it was discontinued in 2022. Only 23 more years until it can be imported…

Mini Cooper

Everyone always talks about the Mini Cooper S and the JCW and their turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Sure, they’re all great cars, but it’s high time the basic Mini gets some love, too.

The current Cooper C and the previous One both use a turbocharged three-cylinder engine. Even then, the Mini is great fun to drive in all its forms, and the three-pot really doesn’t hinder that at all. Plus, in the case of the previous generation, you can always go around telling people that your car has basically the same engine as the BMW i8.

Opel Corsa Hybrid

Finally, a bit of a wildcard. The most recent facelift of the Opel Corsa introduced a new powertrain: a 1.2-liter mild hybrid three-cylinder making either 100 hp or 134 hp. Not a particularly huge amount of power, but in such a small car, it makes a massive difference.

This is the same 1.2-liter three-pot that Stellantis has started putting into literally everything nowadays. But, when paired up with the mild hybrid component and a smooth, quick-shifting dual-clutch auto transmission, the Corsa Hybrid is sprightly, surprisingly fun while also offering seriously impressive fuel economy.