5 Cars That Beat The KTM 390 Duke In A 0-100kmph Sprint

The new KTM 390 Duke isn’t your daily run-of-the-mill bike. The recent update has made it hotter, more aggressive, and even more powerful than before. We put the new 390 Duke to the test and are happy to report that the Duke’s claimed 0-100 kmph time of 5.9 seconds is in fact true. For just Rs 3.10 lakh (ex-showroom), 0-100kmph in 5.91 seconds (tested by us) is a whole lotta performance for not a lot of money.

And to prove exactly that, here’s a list of a few quick four-wheelers we’ve tested over the years that managed to beat the time of the 390 Duke. 

Mercedes-AMG E63s 4.0L P AT: 3.61s

The Mercedes AMG E63s might not look like a savage, vicious sports car, but it has the performance to put one to shame. With 612 PS and 800 Nm on tap from a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 the E63s takes just 3.61 seconds to hit 100 kmph on the odometer. 

Audi RSQ8 P AT: 3.82s

The Audi RSQ8 is a deceptive track weapon wrapped in the body of an SUV-coupe. With 600 PS and 800 Nm of V8 goodness, it also happens to be the quickest SUV we’ve ever put to the test! Don’t believe it? Read our road test review to question the laws of physics along with us.

Audi RS5 2.9L TP AT: 3.93s

Audi knows how to nail a launch off the line and the RS5 is no different. Quattro all-wheel drive  helps it get off the line with urgency, but it's the 450 PS and 430 Nm from the 2894cc V6 that propels and keeps pulling the Audi to hit 100 kmph in just 3.93 seconds. This performance might sound intimidating, but you’d be surprised how ‘cool’ the RS5 plays its performance cards, as our road tester, Alan D’Cruz, found out for himself in the first drive review of the RS5.

BMW M8 4.4L P AT: 4.02s

The M8 is the flagship of the BMW M sedan lineup and keeping up with the standards, the M8 is no slouch. We managed to record a 0-100 kmph time of 4.02 seconds, which was done without launch control. BMW says it’ll do the sprint in 3.3 seconds and we don’t doubt it for a second because it does pack oodles of power: 600 PS and 750 Nm, to be precise. 

Mercedes-AMG A45s 2.0L P AT: 4.08s

With the world’s (then) most powerful four cylinder belting out 421 PS and 500 Nm inside a car in the shape of a hatchback, the AMG A45s is a pocket rocket indeed. It isn’t as friendly on the pocket as the KTM (duh) but it’ll probably dish out more smiles per litre than the 390 Duke. Our senior correspondent Aniruthan Srithar got a ride in one, and here are his thoughts on it.

That’s the thing with bikes. You get access to so much more performance for monumentally less money than when you go after the same performance in a four-wheeler. 

The KTM 390 Duke produces just 44.86 PS and 39 Nm, but can still keep up with cars with more than 10 times its performance. It costs just Rs 3.10 lakh, whereas the most affordable car in this list costs upwards of Rs 70 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). 

Also Read: Need For Speed Tata Edition: 5 Quickest Tata Cars We’ve Ever Tested

So what would you pick? The pocket-friendly KTM 390 Duke, or any one of these big-money four-wheeler offerings? Let us know the side you pick in the comments below.