Which is the better engine, the Kia Kappa 1.0 turbo or the Mazda Skyactiv 1.5?

I'm used to driving a small diesel but I now want to change to a small petrol car. I'm looking at the Kia/Hyundai 1.0 turbo engine in the Kia Rio, they seem to be high torque (171Nm kicking in from 1500 revs) whereas the Mazda Skyactiv 1.5 engine in the Mazda 2 has less torque at (148Nm at 4000 revs). Do you know if the Kia engine will pull more like a diesel at low revs compared to the Mazda? The Mazda seems to accelerate quicker, and fuel economy between the two is pretty much the same, so it is hard to decide on the better engine and drive.

Asked on 21 February 2017 by PaulSG

Answered by Honest John

The KIA Rio 1.0 Kappa is quite a joyful engine: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-rio-2017-r.../ The Mazda 2 is a better handler: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-2015.../

Tags: performance cars buying and selling small engines petrol engines consumer advice handling

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

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