Purpose <p>Recently, small cars have become the preferred choice for urban traffic due to their small size and flexibility. This study investigates a 0.93-liter, two-cylinder diesel engine in relation to the performance requirements of small cars. </p> Methods <p>It addresses the challenges of inlet and exhaust pressure fluctuations and vibrations commonly associated with two-cylinder diesel engines by adopting a crankshaft arrangement characterized by a 360°CA firing interval. Subsequently, a balancing scheme is developed, and the vibration characteristics of this scheme are analyzed under various operational conditions. </p> Results <p>The results indicate that the upward vibration amplitude at the top of the engine is significant, measuring 289.98&#xa0;m/s² under no-load conditions and 509.99&#xa0;m/s² under full-load. In contrast, the amplitudes at the left and right engine suspensions minimized at vibration-sensitive measurement points throughout the vehicle. </p> Conclusions <p>This observation demonstrates that the layout of the balancing system effectively meets the requirements for small cars, and provides a reference for the optimization of inlet and exhaust characteristics and vibration characteristics of two-cylinder diesel engines.</p>