Which Cars Launched With A B20 Engine Under The Hood & How Much HP Do They Have?

The Honda B-Series is one of Honda’s most iconic engines. It powered vehicles like the third-generation Acura Integra Type R, the Honda Prelude, and all sorts of different variations of the Honda Civic. Lots of Honda enthusiasts spend hours deciding whether to use the B-Series or the K-Series, two of the most popular engines for power upgrades. When it was introduced to the United States in 1989, the Acura Integra brought with it the debut of innovative VTEC technology via the B16 — a game changer by pretty much every standard.

Various displacement sizes of the B-Series were available during the engine’s run and they corresponded to the engine’s names: B16, B17, B18, and B20. The B16 had 1.6 liters of displacement, the B17 had 1.7 liters, the B18 had 1.8, and you guessed it — the B20 had 2.0 liters. The B20 was used in a few different vehicles, but it was first launched in the United States under the hood of the Honda Prelude. It debuted with 109 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque on base versions, but eventually the numbers would go up as the B20 was used in subsequent Prelude model years, in higher-performance variants, and other Honda vehicles.

More versions of the B20

Different versions of the third-generation Honda Prelude used pumped-up versions of the B20. The 2.0 Si, for example, produced 135 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque. And the Prelude wasn’t the only Honda to get the B20. The first-generation Honda CR-V also got a version of the B20 – known as the B20B elsewhere but known as the B20Z here in the states.

In 1997, when the CR-V hit showroom floors, it used the B20 to produce 126 hp and 133 lb-ft. By 1999, Honda increased the CR-V’s horsepower rating to 146 hp — a significant increase for the day. It didn’t have as much power as engines like the high-revving B18C (the engine famous for its power delivery in the DC2 Integra Type R), but the B20 did have a healthy dose of torque thanks to the extra displacement. The B-series engine would later be replaced by a larger 2.4-liter engine in 2001, but enthusiasts often use the B20 as a building block for their engine builds.