Wolves in sheep’s clothing: 7 cars that go faster than you think

The well-known proverb says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”

There are several factors that contribute to a car’s performance when accelerating up to 100 km/h. These include the vehicle’s weight, gear ratio, engine power and torque, tire grip level, center of gravity, and agility in gear changes.

The cars listed below may not give the impression of being particularly powerful, but their engines successfully combine the various requirements necessary for their respective categories. Although they are not designed to break acceleration records, they are well-suited for their intended purposes.

Check our ranking. They look slow but they’re not: cars that are good at accelerating

1. The Honda Accord Touring is capable of accelerating to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. Its 2.0 turbo engine generates 256 horsepower and 37.7 kgfm of torque. With a weight of 1547 kg, it has an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 6.04 kg/hp.

2. The RAM 1500 has a HEMI 5.7 V8 engine with 400 hp and 56.7 kgfm, and it takes 7.7 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. With a weight of 2553 kg, its power-to-weight ratio is 6.38 kg/hp.

3. The Renault Megane achieves a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 9 seconds. Equipped with a 2.0 16v engine, it produces 138 hp and 19.2 kgfm of torque. Weighing 1200 kg, it has a power-to-weight ratio of 8.70 kg/hp.

4. The JAC J2 has a power-to-weight ratio of 8.10 kg/hp, with a 1.4 16v engine that produces 110 hp and 14.1 kgfm, allowing it to accelerate to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds. It weighs 915 kg.

5. The Mercedes-Benz Vito achieves a 0-100 km/h acceleration in 11 seconds. Equipped with a 2.0 turbo engine, it generates 184 hp and 30.6 kgfm. With a weight of 1825 kg, it has a power-to-weight ratio of 9.92 kg/hp.

6. The Kia Mohave has a 4.6 V8 engine that produces 340 hp and 44.4 kgfm, enabling it to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 7.6 seconds. Despite its heavy weight of 2205 kg, it still boasts a respectable power-to-weight ratio of 6.49 kg/hp.

7. The Citroën Xsara Picasso 2.0 manual can reach a top speed of 212 km/h, which is impressive. It has a 2.0 16v engine that generates 138 hp and 14.1 kgfm, and it can accelerate to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds. With a weight of 1306 kg, it has a power-to-weight ratio of 9.46 kg/hp.