This is an internal combustion engine, four-stroke, with 4 cylinders in line bored directly into the iron block, water cooled, with overhead camshaft(s) driven by a toothed timing belt and an aluminium cylinder head.

[5] The KxM engine has a displacement of 1.6 L (1,598 cc) featuring multi-point fuel injection and EGR emission control system fitted.

Fuel injection systems were supplied by Delphi on the lower power level versions (up to 66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp) and by Continental (ex Siemens) on the higher power level versions (70 kW (95 PS; 94 hp) and higher).

[11] Their maximum power output varies depending on the emission standards they meet.

Improvements over this period have included coating the tappets to reduce friction by 40%; redesigning the injector spray angle, resulting in a 15% reduction of NOx during combustion and a small improvement in torque; and fitting new piston rings, reducing the tension on the belt-driving engine accessories and optimizing the dimensions of the base engine.

The K9K engine is produced in Bursa, Turkey; Chennai, India; and Valladolid, Spain.