Article: Ward's Ten Best Engines of 2010
Published on Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Just about every publication has an award to give away this time of year, and Wards Automotive is no different. But instead of picking the best car, truck or SUV, the industry wiz kids at Wards go right for the power supply to rank the Ten Best Engines for 2010. Over the years the list has contained a nice mix of engines from the U.S., Europe and Asia, but never before has the Ten Best been this fuel efficient. The list comprises of two hybrids, two diesels, one supercharger and three turbocharged gasoline mills.
To be eligible for Wards' 10 Best Engines competition the vehicle must cost less than $54,000 and the engine must be available as a standard production option by Q1 2010. Among the ten winning engines are the new 1.8-liter hybrid powerplant from the Toyota Prius, the 2.5-liter hybrid powering the Ford Fusion, and the diesels from the BMW 335d and the 2.0-liter Jetta TDI. Audi joins the ranks with its excellent 2.0T and 3.0T (well, supercharged) mills, while Ford scored a hit with its Ecoboost 3.5-liter engine. The most powerful engine to make the 10 Best Engines list is Hyundai's 4.6L Tau V8, which gains ten hp for 2010.
The 10 Best Engines awards will be presented at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13. Hit the jump to read Wards' press release and check the gallery below for a tour of this year's winners.
PRESS RELEASE:
Engines employing new technologies to deliver both fuel economy and performance dominate North America's only engine award program
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Ward's 10 Best Engines, North America's only award program honoring engine excellence, have been announced for 2010. The list symbolizes the auto industry's swift movement toward downsized engines to attract consumers who now are making fuel efficiency a top priority.
Highlights: Two turbodiesels (one each from BMW AG and Volkswagen AG) and two hybrid-electric vehicles (from Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.) made this year's list by achieving fuel economy of nearly 40 mpg (5.8 L/100 km) in the VW Jetta SportWagen TDI and up to 55 mpg (4.2 L/100 km) in the Toyota Prius in real-world driving.
This year's winners and the applications tested:
* 2.0L TFSI Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Audi A4)
* 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S4)
* 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (BMW 335d)
* 2.5L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Ford Fusion Hybrid)
* 3.5L EcoBoost Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Ford Taurus SHO)
* 2.4L Ecotec DOHC I-4 (Chevrolet Equinox)
* 4.6L Tau DOHC V-8 (Hyundai Genesis)
* 2.5L Turbocharged DOHC H-4 (Subaru Legacy 2.5GT)
* 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Toyota Prius)
* 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI)
"This year's list embodies how the industry is responding to demands for higher fuel economy and lower emissions without shortchanging performance," Ward's AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter said. "Auto makers are using innovative designs and advanced technology to boost horsepower and torque while downsizing engines and increasing efficiency."
To be eligible for the competition, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2010, in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.
Throughout October and November, six editors of Ward's Automotive Group tested 34 vehicles from 13 auto makers in their normal driving cycles in metro Detroit. They scored each engine based on horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance and comparative data. Each engine was evaluated because it was all-new, offered significant technology upgrades or was a returning winner from last year.
The awards will be presented at a Jan. 13 ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. A full story on the Ward's 10 Best Engines is now available on Wardsauto.com.
Ward's Automotive Group is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for nearly 80 years. Ward's AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals. The twice-monthly newsletter Ward's Engine & Vehicle Technology Update provides analysis of engineering advancements and technical issues. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data and analysis compiled by Ward's Automotive Group, the world's leader in automotive industry information. A Southfield, MI - based division of Penton Media, Inc., Ward's Automotive Group also publishes the weekly industry newsletter Ward's Automotive Reports, the monthly magazine Ward's Dealer Business, and offers a wealth of other automotive information services including reference annuals, online databases, and customized data reports.
Source: autoblog.com
