Why would engine designers opt to include more cylinders in an engine instead of increasing the displacement?

Question

For example, why would a car manufacturer opt to to use a 2.0L in line six instead of a 2.0L in line four in a vehicle. Are the benefits of including more cylinders in an engine worth the added complexity?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

More cylinders means more balance in the mechanism, reducing wear and vibration. Everything’s not a V12 because more cylinders means more parts and machining steps, both of which cost money. While the parts are smaller and this also has some benefits, the smaller parts cost about the same to make.