Marlin 5EXi

Marlin 5EXi: which version to buy

If you are choosing a Marlin 5EXi, the decision is not between generations — there is only 1 generation (from 2004, no end year in the data), Speedster body, 5 versions, all FWD, all Gasoline, all kerb weight 650 kg and ground clearance 125 mm. The choice is which engine and gearbox pair to take. Three of the five share the name 1.8 MT; they must be split by power: 150 hp, 300 hp, and 120 hp.

If you are choosing a Marlin 5EXi, the decision is not between generations — there is only 1 generation (from 2004, no end year in the data), Speedster body, 5 versions, all FWD, all Gasoline, all kerb weight 650 kg and ground clearance 125 mm. The choice is which engine and gearbox pair to take. Three of the five share the name 1.8 MT; they must be split by power: 150 hp, 300 hp, and 120 hp. Fuel consumption, tank size, CO2, eco class, gross weight and wheel sizes are not measured on every version, so they cannot decide the buy.

Specs table: every Marlin 5EXi version

Front suspension Independent, spring and rear Independent, spring on all five. Front brakes Ventilated disc, rear Disc on all five. Fuel grade 95 on all five. Multi-point distributed injection on all five.

Which generation changed what

There is nothing to compare across generations: pokoleniy = 1. Production start for the generation and for every version is 2004-01-01; stop is not measured (null). Body stays Speedster. Chassis numbers that do not move between versions: kerb 650 kg, clearance 125 mm, FWD, Gasoline. What changes is only the engine, boost, valve count, compression, 0–100, top speed where measured, and whether the gearbox is 5 or 6 speeds.

Engine: how the five versions actually differ

Power spread. From 1.6 MT (109 hp) to 1.8 MT 300 hp the gap is 191 hp — almost 2.8×. The mild 1.8 MT 120 hp is only 11 hp above the 1.6 MT. The 2.0 MT (200 hp) sits 100 hp below the 300 hp 1.8 MT and 50 hp above the 150 hp 1.8 MT.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres):

• 1.8 MT 300 hp: 300 / 1.781 ≈ 168.4 hp/L
• 2.0 MT: 200 / 1.998 ≈ 100.1 hp/L
• 1.8 MT 150 hp: 150 / 1.781 ≈ 84.2 hp/L
• 1.6 MT: 109 / 1.588 ≈ 68.6 hp/L
• 1.8 MT 120 hp: 120 / 1.796 ≈ 66.8 hp/L

The 300 hp 1.8 MT is more than twice as specific as the 150 hp 1.8 MT on the same 1781 cc Turbo architecture. The naturally aspirated 1.8 MT 120 hp is the least specific of the five — slightly below even the smaller 1.6 MT.

Torque. Peak Nm:

• 1.8 MT 300 hp: 340 Nm @ 1750
• 1.8 MT 150 hp: 220 Nm @ 1750
• 2.0 MT: 196 Nm @ 5900
• 1.8 MT 120 hp: 160 Nm @ 4000
• 1.6 MT: 138 Nm @ 4500

The two Turbo 1.8 MT versions (150 hp and 300 hp) both peak at 1750 rpm. The 300 hp car has 120 Nm more than the 150 hp car on the same displacement (1781 cc), same 5 valves per cylinder, same compression 9.5, same bore × stroke 81 × 86.4. The 2.0 MT has 196 Nm but only at 5900 rpm — 4150 rpm later than the Turbo twins — so the extra displacement (1998 vs 1781) does not buy low-rpm pull.

Nm per hp: 220/150 ≈ 1.47 on the 150 hp 1.8 MT (torque-rich); 340/300 ≈ 1.13 on the 300 hp 1.8 MT; 160/120 ≈ 1.33 on the 120 hp 1.8 MT; 138/109 ≈ 1.27 on 1.6 MT; 196/200 ≈ 0.98 on 2.0 MT (power-biased, high-rpm).

Boost split. Turbo: 1.8 MT 150 hp and 1.8 MT 300 hp. No: 1.6 MT, 1.8 MT 120 hp, 2.0 MT. Buying a Turbo 1.8 MT is the only way in this catalogue to get peak torque below 2000 rpm.

Valves and compression. 5 valves per cylinder only on the two Turbo 1.8 MT (150 and 300 hp). The other three use 4 valves. Compression 11 is unique to 2.0 MT; 10.5 on 1.6 MT and 1.8 MT 120 hp; 9.5 on both Turbos.

Layout of the engine. Front, transverse is measured only on 1.6 MT and 1.8 MT 120 hp. On 1.8 MT 150 hp, 1.8 MT 300 hp and 2.0 MT engine position is not measured.

Performance: 0–100 and top speed (mpg is not measured)

City, highway and mixed consumption are not measured for all five versions. MPG cannot pick a winner.

0–100 km/h:

• 1.8 MT 150 hp: 3 s
• 1.8 MT 300 hp: 3 s
• 2.0 MT: 3.5 s
• 1.6 MT: 5 s
• 1.8 MT 120 hp: 5 s

The 300 hp 1.8 MT does not improve the recorded 0–100 versus the 150 hp 1.8 MT (both 3 s) despite +150 hp and +120 Nm. What the extra output buys on the data is top speed, not the 0–100 figure. 2.0 MT is 0.5 s slower to 100 than either Turbo 1.8 MT, and 1.5 s faster than 1.6 MT / 1.8 MT 120 hp.

Top speed:

• 1.8 MT 300 hp: 265 km/h
• 2.0 MT: 240 km/h
• 1.8 MT 120 hp: 192 km/h
• 1.6 MT: not measured
• 1.8 MT 150 hp: not measured

300 hp 1.8 MT vs 2.0 MT: +25 km/h. 300 hp 1.8 MT vs 120 hp 1.8 MT: +73 km/h. You cannot rank 1.6 MT or 150 hp 1.8 MT on top speed because the value is not measured.

Dimensions and weight: same kerb, same clearance

Kerb weight is 650 kg on every version. Gross weight, tank and wheels are not measured on every version. Ground clearance is 125 mm on every version. Weight does not change with engine, so power-to-weight is just 650 divided by hp:

• 1.8 MT 300 hp: 650/300 ≈ 2.17 kg/hp
• 2.0 MT: 650/200 = 3.25 kg/hp
• 1.8 MT 150 hp: 650/150 ≈ 4.33 kg/hp
• 1.8 MT 120 hp: 650/120 ≈ 5.42 kg/hp
• 1.6 MT: 650/109 ≈ 5.96 kg/hp

The 300 hp car is 2.75× lighter per horsepower than the 1.6 MT. The 2.0 MT is 1.08 kg/hp lighter than the 150 hp 1.8 MT (3.25 vs 4.33).

Which version to choose

Choose 1.8 MT 300 hp if the goal is maximum measured output and top speed. It is the only version with 300 hp, 340 Nm, 265 km/h and ~2.17 kg/hp. Versus the same-named 1.8 MT 150 hp it adds 150 hp and 120 Nm on identical 1781 cc, Turbo, 5-valve, 9.5 compression, 5-speed Manual, FWD. Versus 2.0 MT it adds 100 hp, 144 Nm, 0.5 s on 0–100 (3 vs 3.5) and 25 km/h top speed, at the cost of a 5-speed instead of 6-speed Manual. Versus 1.8 MT 120 hp it adds 180 hp, 180 Nm, 2 s on 0–100 and 73 km/h. Fuel use is not measured, so economy cannot offset that gap in this catalogue.

Choose 1.8 MT 150 hp if you want the Turbo low-rpm torque without the 300 hp peak. 220 Nm @ 1750 is 60 Nm more than the 120 hp 1.8 MT and 82 Nm more than 1.6 MT, and it matches the 300 hp car’s 3 s 0–100. Specific output (~84.2 hp/L) is between the 120 hp 1.8 MT and the 2.0 MT. Top speed is not measured, so you cannot claim it is slower than the 300 hp car on that axis — only that the 300 hp figure is the one that exists.

Choose 2.0 MT if you want the only 6-speed Manual and a high-rev naturally aspirated 1998 cc. 200 hp @ 7400 rpm, compression 11, 86 × 86, No boost, 3.5 s to 100, 240 km/h. Versus 150 hp 1.8 MT: +50 hp, −24 Nm, torque 4150 rpm later, +0.5 s to 100, but a measured 240 km/h and one extra gear. Versus 300 hp 1.8 MT you give up 100 hp, 144 Nm, 0.5 s and 25 km/h. Versus 1.6 MT: +91 hp, +58 Nm, −1.5 s to 100.

Choose 1.8 MT 120 hp if you want a naturally aspirated 1.8 with a measured top speed and no Turbo. 120 hp, 160 Nm @ 4000, 1796 cc, 4 valves, compression 10.5, 80 × 89.3, Front, transverse, 5 s, 192 km/h. Versus 1.6 MT: +11 hp, +22 Nm, same 5 s 0–100, and a top speed that the 1.6 MT does not have in the data. Versus 2.0 MT you lose 80 hp, 1.5 s and 48 km/h. It is the weakest specific engine (~66.8 hp/L).

Choose 1.6 MT only if the smallest displacement is the point. 109 hp, 138 Nm, 1588 cc, 4 valves, No boost, Front, transverse, 5 s, top speed not measured. It is 11 hp and 22 Nm behind 1.8 MT 120 hp at essentially the same 0–100, and it is the heaviest per horsepower (~5.96 kg/hp). Nothing in the data (consumption, tank, price) shows a running-cost win.

What “extra” does not buy in this catalogue

All five share kerb 650 kg, clearance 125 mm, FWD, Gasoline, 95 fuel, independent spring suspension both ends, Ventilated disc front / Disc rear. There is no second generation to buy for a restyle. There is no Automatic. There is no AWD. mpg, tank, wheels, gross weight and eco class are not measured — they cannot be used as a tie-breaker. Prices are not in the data.

Short ranking on the numbers that exist: fastest 0–100 — 1.8 MT 150 hp and 1.8 MT 300 hp (tie at 3 s); highest speed — 1.8 MT 300 hp (265); only 6-speed — 2.0 MT; smallest step up from 1.6 MT — 1.8 MT 120 hp (+11 hp). If one sentence has to pick a version: 1.8 MT 300 hp is the outlier on power, torque and top speed; 1.8 MT 150 hp is the same 0–100 without the extra 150 hp; 2.0 MT is the high-rpm 6-speed alternative; 1.8 MT 120 hp and 1.6 MT are the two 5-second naturally aspirated cars, with only the 120 hp 1.8 MT listing a top speed.