With the BX GTi, Citroen became the first French manufacturer to equip a 16-valve engine in a mass-produced car. The 1.9L DOHC inline 4 engine featured a twin-exhaust port cylinder head based on that of the Peugeot 205 T16 , and cranked out 158 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque. The same engine would later be fitted to the Peugeot 405 Mi16 , an in-house competitor to the BX GTi.
