What Does kW vs. PS Mean?
German car adverts state power in kilowatts first, with Pferdestärke in brackets: "140 kW (190 PS)". Both describe the same thing.
The conversion
1 kW = 1.36 PS, and 1 PS = 0.735 kW. For quick mental maths, multiply kW by 1.36, or divide PS by 1.36.
| kW | PS | Typical car |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 75 | Small city car |
| 81 | 110 | Golf 1.0 TSI |
| 110 | 150 | Golf 1.5 TSI / 2.0 TDI |
| 140 | 190 | BMW 320d |
| 180 | 245 | Audi S3 (older) |
| 285 | 387 | BMW M340i |
| 470 | 640 | Ferrari F8 |
Why both
The kilowatt is the SI unit and is what appears in Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and in all official documents. PS is the traditional metric horsepower, still what Germans use in conversation. Note that PS is not identical to British/American hp — 1 hp = 1.014 PS — so a "190 PS" car is about 187 hp.
What power actually tells you
Power determines top speed and how hard the car pulls at high revs. It says much less about how a car feels in normal driving — that is torque, and how early it arrives. A 150 PS diesel often feels stronger around town than a 150 PS petrol, because its torque peaks at 1,750 rpm rather than 4,500.