Performance Car Podcast: Downsized engines

Welcome to episode three of the Performance Car Podcast.

In this episode Editor Dylan Campbell and Associate Editor Scott Newman discuss the trend of downsizing. Most performance cars are now using smaller engines boosted by turbocharging to produce improved performance with greater fuel economy - or at least that's the theory.

We discuss the various cars that encompass this trend and the effect - whether positive or negative - a smaller engine has had, as well as examining whether the trend is producing the intended results.

Our studio for this episode is the Volvo S60 Polestar, which is a poster child for the downsizing movement having recently switched its 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder for a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder. Despite losing a third of its capacity, power and performance has actually increased.

You can listen to this podcast in audio form on iTunes and Podbean, please subscribe and leave us a rating. Feel free to let us know any cars or topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes, we'll see you again in a couple of weeks with another episode.