How Much HP Does A Honda K20 Engine Produce & What Cars Are They In?
Whether you're buying a new car or doing some aftermarket tuning, it's no surprise that Honda makes some of the best four-cylinder engines, and the K20 is arguably at the top. It's hard not to mention the K20 when discussing the most reliable Honda engines ever built, as it and its variants are easily some of the company's most long-lived products.
The K20 reigns supreme, even when you rank the K-Series engines from worst to best. Introduced in 2001, the K20 was the replacement for the Honda B-series, introducing a four-cylinder engine with DOHC configuration, coil-on-plug ignition coils, and a digitally controlled ignition. As the name suggests, the K20 is a 2.0-liter engine with 221 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque, and its powerful punch was popular enough to spawn the entire Honda K-Series. The horsepower fluctuated with later versions, with the K20A1, K20A2, K20A3, and K20A4 having 159, 200, 160, and 150 hp, respectively.
Eventually, Honda released a range of K20Z and K20C engines. The K20Z1 was an updated version with 210 hp. The K20Z2 replaced the K20A1 with 153 hp, the K20Z3 had 197 hp, and the K20Z4 increased to 201 hp. The K20C1 was a turbocharged engine with 306 hp, inspiring the K20C3 and 4, which had 272 hp and 252 hp. Meanwhile, the K20C2 was Honda's return to economy-range engines, offering 158 hp.
What cars had the K20A engines?
Honda isn't lacking options when it comes to the K20 engine. The Japanese manufacturer has discontinued a few versions, so some are only available in older models, while others can be found on a dealership's lot today. So, which cars are the K20 engines in? To keep things simple, we'll break each up into its own section.
The original K20 was exclusive to the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM). It was inside Japan's Honda Civic Type R and Integra Type Rs from 2001 to 2006. The K20A also came in 2002 to 2008 models of the Honda Accord Euro R and Civic Type Rs from 2007 to 2011. First-generation Honda Streams, which ran from 2001 to 2006, had the K20A1 engine in the RN3 and RN4 models.
The K20A2 engine was available in Honda Civic Type R models from 2001 to 2006 in the European Domestic Market (EDM) and the Acura RSX Type S from 2002 to 2004. It also went down under, featuring in Australian and New Zealand Domestic Markets in the Honda Integra Type R from 2002 to 2004.
More widespread than the others, the K20A3 was in the 2002-2006 Acura RSX and the Honda Civic Si, SiR, and Type S models from 2002-2005. It was also in the Southeast Asian Civic 2.0 i-VTEC from 2003 to 2006. European and Australian Honda Accords from 2003 to 2006 featured the A20A6 with 155hp.
[Featured image by Hatsukari715 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]
What about the K20Z and K20C?
Given that the K20Z served as upgraded versions of the A series, they are in many of the same vehicles. For example, the K20Z1 was a mid-model update to the A series, so it was in the final years of the Acura RSX's production in 2005 and 2006. However, unlike the K20As, you can still get your hands on a modern-day Z series engine in the 2024 Honda HR-V. The compact crossover SUV has a K20Z5 engine inside it, offering 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. The K20Z5 has been powering the Honda HR-V since the 2023 model.
Unlike the others, the K20Cs are readily available in many Honda cars. The K20C1 has been a staple of the Honda Civic Type R since 2015 in both the European and United States markets. The engine is readily available in the 2024 Type Rs and the Acura Integra Type S.
The United States market received the K20C2 via the Honda Civic LX in 2016, and the engine continues powering the sedan's latest model. Around the same time, the K20C2 made a pit stop on the racetrack, appearing in the Formula 4 United States Championship from 2016 to 2023.
The K20C3 has been available in Chinese Honda Avanciers since 2016. The K20C4 powered every Honda Accord from 2018 until it switched to a hybrid model in 2023. It has also been in the Acura RDX since 2019.
[Featured image by Iamjosemom via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0]