Like many European carmakers focusing on affordable vehicles, Citroën didn't offer a V8 engine. The French experimented with V8s in the 1960s, but it mostly stuck to four- and six-cylinder mills.

In the era of downsizing, automakers are gradually moving away from high-cylinder engines. As a result, they are increasingly in favor of smaller, often turbocharged or hybridized powertrains. A few ...