Volkswagen’s innovative 1,4-litre TSI Twincharger four-cylinder engine won the International Engine of the Year award, ending four years of BMW dominance, as well as being voted Green Engine of the Year over strong opposition from Toyota and Honda.By Kyle Kock
In what was the closest finish in the history of the Awards, the turbocharged and supercharged 1,4-litre beat the 2007 and 2008 champion, BMW’s 3,0-litre direct injection twin turbo by four points. TSI’s triumph in the overall International Engine of the Year, Green Engine and 1-litre to 1,4-litre categories will be seen as an important victory for those backing the downsizing of internal combustion engines over other solutions such as gasoline hybrids and full electric vehicles
“The international judging panel is hugely impressed by this VW engine. It’s a masterstroke of downsizing technology and a real engineering showcase. I have no doubt that this engine will become the template for a whole new generation of high efficiency, small capacity engines in the years to come,” said Dean Slavnich, editor of and co-chairman of the International Engine of the Year Awards.
BMW may have lost out on the top award, but nevertheless scored successes in the 3,0-litre to 4,0-litre category with the 309 kW 4,0-litre V8 used in the M3, and in the 2,5-litre to 3,0-litre category with the twin turbo diesel straight-six. The Munich-based marque also shared a category win with PSA Peugeot Citroën for the 1,6-litre turbocharged unit employed in the Mini Cooper S and S Clubman, Peugeot 207 and 308, in the 1,6-litre to 1,8-litre category.
Mercedes-Benz backed up the success of the German contingent with three category wins. Its 2,1-litre twin-turbo diesel won the 2,0-litre to 2,5-litre category and its AMG-developed 6,2-litre V8 powerplant won the Above 4,0-litre category, with the same unit also judged to be the Performance Engine of the Year.
The Awards, which are judged by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries across four continents (including CAR’s own Jake Venter), also rewarded a variety of other manufacturers for engine excellence in a number of different categories. Toyota won the Sub 1,0-litre category with its 998cm3, three-cylinder engine; Audi was rewarded for its 2,0-litre, four-cylinder TFSI engine in the 1,8-litre to 2,0-litre category; and Porsche’s 3,8-litre flat-six was voted New Engine of the Year.
The roll of honours is as follows:
International Engine of the Year
1. Volkswagen 1,4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Golf, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Touran, Tiguan, Seat Ibiza Cupra) 354
2. BMW 3,0-litre direct injection twin turbo (135, 335, X6, Z4, 730) 350
3. Audi 2,0-litre TFSI (Audi A4, A5, Q5, VW Scirocco, Golf GTI) 220
Best new Engine
1. Porsche 3,8-litre flat six direct-injection (911) 144
2. BMW diesel 3,0-litre (330d, 730d, 530d, X3, X5) 122
3. BMW 4,4-litre direct injection turbo (750i, X6) 120
4. Jaguar 5-litre V8 supercharged (XF, XK) 112
Green Engine of the year
1. Volkswagen 1,4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Golf, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Touran, Tiguan) 205
2. Honda Hybrid 1,3-litre (Insight Civic) 203
3. BMW Diesel 2,0-litre twin turbo (123d)
147
Best Performance Engine
1. Mercedes-AMG 6,2-litre (CLK, S, SL, CL, CLS, ML) 109
2. BMW 5,0-litre V10 (M5, M6) 90
3. Jaguar 5,0-litre V8 supercharged (XF, XK) 90
Sub 1,0-litre
1. Toyota 1,0-litre three-cylinder (Aygo, IQ, Yaris, Citroën C1, Peugeot 107) 318
2. Smart Diesel 799cc (Smart Fortwo) 216
3. Mitsubishi 999cc turbo (Smart Fortwo) 214
1,0-litre to 1,4-litre
1. Volkswagen 1,4-litre TSI Twincharger (Golf, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Touran, Tiguan) 293
2. Volkswagen 1,4-litre TSI turbo (Golf, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Passat, , Audi A3) 154
3. Fiat 1,4-litre turbo (Fiat Abarth 500, Abarth Grande Punto, Linea, Bravo, Alfa Romeo Mito)
147
1,4-litre to 1,8-litre
1. BMW-PSA 1,6-litre Turbo (Mini Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308) 253
2. Toyota Hybrid 1,8-litre (Prius) 198
3. Audi 1,8-litre TFSI (Audi A4, A3, A5, TT, VW Passat) 184
1,8-litre to 2,0-litre
1. Audi 2,0-litre TFSI (Audi A4, A5, Q5, VW Scirocco, Golf GTI) 220
2. BMW Diesel 2,0-litre twin turbo (123d) 190
3. Audi 2,0-litre four-cylinder TFSI (Audi A6, A3, TT, VW Tiguan, Eos, Jetta, Tiguan) 98
2,0-litre to 2,5-litre
1. Mercedes-Benz Diesel 2,1-litre (BlueEfficiency E-Class, BlueEfficiency C-Class) 225
2. Audi 2,5-litre five-cylinder turbo (Audi TT RS) 180
3. Subaru 2,5-litre flat-four turbo (Forester, Impreza, Legacy) 144
2,5-litre to 3,0-litre
1. BMW 3,0-litre direct injection twin turbo (135, 335, X6, Z4, 730) 345
2. BMW Diesel 3,0-litre twin turbo (335d, 535d, 635d, X3, X5, X6) 250
3. Audi 3,0-litre direct injection supercharged (S4) 125
3,0-litre to 4,0-litre
1. BMW 4,0-litre V8 (M3) 319
2. Porsche 3,8-litre flat six direct injection (911) 156
3. Porsche 3,8-litre flat six (GT3) 148
Above 4,0-litre
1. Mercedes-AMG 6,2-litre (CLK, S, SL, CL, CLS, ML) 162
2. BMW 5,0-litre V10 (M5, M6) 133
3. Jaguar 5,0-litre V8 supercharged (XF, XK) 120
