How Much HP Did The N20 Engine Have & Which Cars Had One Under The Hood?

Anyone who recalls the 2017 BMW class action lawsuit over timing chain problems will be familiar with the BMW N20 engine. It's a turbocharged inline four-cylinder that sadly became embroiled in the biggest engine recalls in U.S. history due to a potential pump-related fire risk. The four-cylinder mill was produced between 2011 and 2017 in 1.6-liter (N20B16) and 2.0-liter (N20B20) displacements and used technologies such as a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, variable valve lift, an aluminum open-deck engine block, as well as an electric water pump. 

The BMW N20 was offered as a replacement for the BMW N52 and N53 inline-sixes, which were the last of the naturally aspirated BMW engines. Thus, it marked the Bavarian's push to build smaller, downsized, boosted direct injection gasoline engines to meet emissions regulations as we often see today (the N20 was touted as being 20% more efficient than the N52 and N53). Being the base BMW engine in its day, the N20 made between 154 and 241 horsepower and served time in several BMW cars, including the 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, X3, and Z4. The N20B20 version, in particular, came in four power levels and motivated the vast majority of BMW models at the time. Here's a comprehensive look at the BMW cars that had the N20 engine.

When the facelifted BMW Z4 arrived for 2013, it brought along a new entry-level sDrive18i model powered by a 154-hp version of the N20 engine, which could be mated to either a standard six-speed manual transmission or an available eight-speed automatic. Z4 sDrive18i models equipped with the automatic could hit 62 mph in 8.1 seconds, while those with the manual achieved a faster 0-62 mph time of 7.9 seconds, according to BMW. Top speed is limited to 137 mph in both automatic and manual Z4 sDrive18i models.

That decent performance goes hand in hand with good fuel economy and low emissions, with BMW claiming the 154-hp N20 engine in the Z4 sDrive18i is good for up to 41.5 miles per gallon of fuel economy. The car is also said to generate CO2 emissions as low as 159 grams per kilometer, according to WLTP standards.

Unlike the 2.0-liter N20 engine, the 1.6-liter N20 is only available in a 168 hp version that powers the sixth-generation BMW 5 Series 520i sold in markets such as Greece, Turkey, Vietnam, and Egypt. The engine, which also makes 184 lb-ft of torque, channels that output to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, propelling the 3,726-pound 520i from zero to 62 mph in 8.7 seconds on its way to a very respectable top speed of 140 mph, given its modest power.

Unsurprisingly, the engine also returns great fuel economy, with 27 mpg in the city, 42.8 mpg on the highway, and 35.1 mpg in combined city-highway driving. Sadly, in countries like Turkey where taxes drive up car prices, benefits like these could have remained inaccessible to many consumers. A BMW Blog post indicates that a 1.6-liter engined 2022 BMW 520i begins at 1,498,100 Turkish lira or $107,361. This compares with a starting MSRP of $54,200 for a 2022 BMW 530i in the U.S., meaning the 168-hp 520i is at least $53,161 costlier than a 530i powered by a more robust 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 248 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

With 181 horses on tap, this BMW N20 engine version is a substantial step up from the base horsepower. Hence, BMW found it particularly suitable for many of its sports cars, SUVs, and sedan models, including the first-generation BMW X1 sDrive20i, second-generation BMW X3 sDrive20i and xDrive20i, first-gen X4 xDrive20i, sixth-gen 320i, and F34 3 Series GT Gran Turismo 320i. Others are the first-generation 2 Series 220i, second-generation Z4 sDrive20i, and sixth-generation BMW 5 Series 520i and 520Li.

Naturally, the extra hp helps increase performance over the 154-hp version, evinced by the Z4 sDrive20i's ability to sprint to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds. The Z4 sDrive20i also receives a top speed boost to 144 mph with the automatic transmission and 146 mph with the manual. Despite boasting significantly better numbers, the BMW Z4 sDrive20i has similar ratings to the 154-hp Z4 sDrive18i for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, at 41.5 mpg combined and 159 g/km.

215 horsepower will feel seriously underpowered by today's standard where even base X1 models now generate 241 hp, but back in the 2010s, the 215-hp version was the second most potent option for buyers who wanted the BMW N20 engine. That choice ultimately led to either the sixth-gen 5 Series 525Li or second-gen BMW 1 Series 125i, where the engine also produces 228 lb-ft of torque and could be had with either a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic with Steptronic.

The claimed 0-62 mph time for manual 1 Series 125i models is 6.2 seconds, while those equipped with the automatic transmission can hit 62 mph from a standstill in 6.4 seconds, per BMW. The Bavarian giant also claims 1 Series 125i variants specified with the manual transmission can run to a 151-mph top speed, while those with the auto can go on to a top speed of 152 mph.

From its introduction in 2011 to its discontinuation in 2017, the 241-hp version of BMW's base engine reigned supreme as top dog in the range. That status made it the engine of choice for many of the more expensive BMW models, including the first-generation BMW X4 xDrive28i, which produces 258 lb-ft to go with the reasonable amount of horsepower on offer.

The 241-hp N20's utterly vast application also cuts across the second-generation Z4 sDrive28i, second-generation X3 xDrive28i, first-gen X1 xDrive and sDrive28i, first-gen BMW 2 Series 228i, sixth-gen BMW 5 Series 528i, F34 3 Series Gran Turismo, first-generation BMW 4 Series 428i, and sixth-generation BMW 3 Series 328i.

Similar to the X4 xDrive28i, many of these BMW models produce 258 lb-ft of torque. However, models such as the 3 Series Gran Turismo differ in their torque output, with 255 lb-ft on offer. That's 3 pounds less than you get with the higher torque variants.