Ward's Announces 10 Best Engines Awards for 2009
Emotion, brute strength, refinement and fuel efficiency, without compromise
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec 10, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amid the auto industry's financial turmoil and resulting pleas for federal assistance, the winners of the Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2009 reflect the diversity of powertrains that will play a role in reshaping America's automotive landscape.
Selected by the editors of Penton Media Inc.'s Ward's Automotive Group, the 2009 list marks the 15th year for the Ward's 10 Best Engines program, the North American auto industry's only awards honoring powertrain excellence and considered by many to be the "Oscars" for automotive engines.
The Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2009: (Engine and tested vehicle)
-- Audi AG: 2.0L TFSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (A4 Avant)
-- BMW AG: 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (135i Coupe)
-- BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (335d)
-- Chrysler LLC: 5.7L Hemi OHV V-8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
-- Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
-- General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6 (Cadillac CTS)
-- Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6 (Accord Coupe)
-- Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.: 4.6L DOHC V-8 (Genesis)
-- Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)
-- Volkswagen AG: 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)
"A decade ago, few consumers in the U.S. paid serious attention to hybrids or diesels. This year, they have to, if they don't want to be pinched the next time fuel hits $4 a gallon," says Tom Murphy, executive editor of Ward's AutoWorld magazine. "The diesels from VW and BMW and the Ford Escape Hybrid all got better than 30 mpg during our testing, and often they topped 40 mpg. And the diesels meet the strictest emissions regulations in the world. If Americans want to find a vehicle that consumes less fuel and is fun to drive, our list is a great place to start."
Some highlights of the winners:
-- Ford Motor Co.'s redesigned 2.5L 4-cyl. hybrid-electric powertrain, which is motivating President and CEO Alan Mulally's Escape Hybrid cross/utility vehicle to and from Washington D.C. for federal-aid talks, makes the cut and serves as a reminder of the innovative spirit found in the domestic auto industry.
-- BMW AG's new 3.0L inline 6-cyl. turbodiesel scores a slot on the list in its first year available in the U.S. Joined by the auto maker's twin-turbocharged and direct-injected gasoline I-6 engine, which returns for the third year, the diesel employs a sequential twin-turbocharger system that provides the 335d sedan with impressive fuel economy and a tire-shredding 425 lb.-ft. (576 Nm) of torque.
-- Volkswagen AG joins the clean-diesel party this year, as well, with its new 2.0L 4-cyl. turbodiesel powering the Jetta TDI sedan. Fun to drive and frugal at the pump, the TDI is an affordable and entertaining alternative to many larger gasoline and hybrid-electric powertrains.
-- Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. appears for the first time on Ward's 10 Best Engines list with its all-new Tau 4.6L DOHC V-8. Introduced in the new Genesis luxury sedan, the engine's velvety power delivery, competitive performance and attainable price epitomize the Korean auto maker's drive for world-class engineering.
Chrysler LLC's venerable 5.7L Hemi V-8 returns to the rankings with added refinement, power and variable-valvetrain and induction technology. Its guttural roar and low-end grunt serves double duty this year in the all-new Dodge Challenger R/T and Ram pickup.
Toyota Motor Corp. scores its fourth consecutive 10 Best Engines win with its Lexus 3.5L DOHC V-6, a brilliant design that employs a unique, combination direct- and port-injection fueling system that helps generate 306 hp and 277 lb.-ft. (376 Nm) of torque.
General Motors Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. also make return appearances with their high-volume V-6 engines exemplifying practicality balanced with precision engineering.
GM's high-feature 3.6L V-6 with direct-gasoline injection returns for the second time. Tested in the Cadillac CTS, yet flexible enough to proliferate through the auto maker's cross/utility vehicles, the advanced V-6 makes a hardy 304 hp on regular gasoline.
Honda underscores its longstanding reputation for great engines with the encore performance of its 3.5L SOHC V-6 in the Accord lineup. Merging exceptional performance with reasonable fuel economy, the engine employs advanced cylinder deactivation in the sedan and engaging power delivery in the coupe.
Audi AG's 2.0L TFSI turbocharged 4-cyl., freshly revamped with 211 hp and a mighty 258 lb.-ft. (350 Nm) of torque for the all-new A4, rounds out the list with a fourth-consecutive 10 Best Engines placing as one of the best all-around turbo-4s on the market.
This year, six Ward's editors nominated 32 different engines for the 10 Best Engines competition. The nominee list consists of the 2008 winners as well as all-new or significantly improved engines.
Over a nearly 2-month period, the editors evaluated and scored each engine against all others in a number of objective and subjective parameters. Each engine must be available in a regular-production, U.S.-specification model on sale no later than the first quarter of 2009 in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.
The awards will be given at a Jan. 14, 2009, ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show.
Complete stories about the 10 Best Engines will be featured soon on Wardsauto.com and in upcoming issues of Ward's AutoWorld magazine and Ward's Engine & Vehicle Technology Update newsletter.
Ward's 10 Best Engines is a copyright of Penton Media Inc. Commercial references to the program and/or awards are prohibited without prior permission of Ward's Automotive Group.
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.
Penton Media Inc. is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than six million business professionals every month. The company's market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.
SOURCE: Penton Media Inc.
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