Drag racing is often about having the most horsepower, but a new video flips that script. The Toyota Aygo X, Citroen Ami, Suzuki Jimny, and Kia Picanto are some of the least-powerful cars on sale in the UK, and the drag racing video determines which is the quickest among them.
The electric Citroen Ami is the lowest-powered model of the group. Its single electric motor delivers 8 horsepower and 40 Newton-meters (29.5 pound-feet) of torque. It weighs just 471 kilograms (1,038 pounds), too.
The only four-cylinder in the competition is the Suzuki Jimny Commercial. Its massive 1.5-liter engine makes the most power here – 101 hp and 130 Nm (95.88 lb-ft) of torque. It has a five-speed manual that powers the rear wheels in two-wheel-drive mode. That extra cylinder also means the Suzuki is the heaviest at 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs).
The Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo feature naturally aspirated three-cylinder engines. The Kia’s 1.0-liter engine makes 67 hp and 96 Nm (70.80 lb-ft) while weighing 933 kg (2,059 lbs). The Toyota’s 1.3-liter makes 72 hp and 93 Nm (65.59 lb-ft), with a five-speed manual gearbox feeding the power to the front wheels of the 945-kg (2,083-lb) car.
The Kia got off the line ahead of the others in the first race and kept the lead through most of it. However, right at the end, the Suzuki and Toyota passed it, with the three crossing the finish line simultaneously. The Toyota technically crossed it first, but the Aygo and Jimny completed the quarter-mile race in 20.2 seconds. The Kia needed 20.3 seconds, while the Citroen took 38 seconds to earn its fourth-place finish.
The two rolling races gave the Ami a massive advantage, starting at the quarter-mile point of the half-mile race. However, in both runs, the Citroen’s advantage failed to translate into anything other than two additional fourth-place finishes.
The only event the Citroen won was the brake test from 70 miles per hour. But it only took first because it can only reach a top speed of about 28 miles per hour. The Aygo X technically took second, with the Suzuki’s knobby tires leading to its fourth-place finish.
