Meaning of 1.2L, 1.4L, 1.6L,engine in a car?
In a car, which has a multi(4/6/8) cylinder engine, the above nomenclature viz. 1.6L,1.4L, etc. refers to the combined volume capacity of all the cylinders( expressed in cubic centimeters, 1L=1000 cc). Here volume capacity refers to the swept volume or displacement volume or breathing capacity of the cylinder. It is basically the volume of air that can be sucked insde the cylinder as the stroke moves from TDC to BDC. Swept Volume, V= pi/4*d^2*L*K , where d- Bore, L-Stroke, K-no. of cylinders. This is the common terminology used to specify the engine size. A 1.2L engine means a 1.2 litre engine, which is equal to 1200cc (cc = cubic capacity). Hope that explains it! Pros/Cons: Usually, higher swept volume means higher power and subsequently higher fuel consumption. This is because Power, P= Mean Cyl.Pressure*Stroke*Pisto n area*No. of power strokes*No. of cylinders. So, Power generated is a directly proportional to the cyl