Volkswagen has secured overall honors at the 2009 International Engine of the Year Awards, winning the accolade for the first time in the company's history with its diminutive yet powerful 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger engine.
The unit is offered across much of VW's European model range, including the Golf, Scirocco and Eos, and is also used by Seat in the Ibiza Cupra. The turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-liter also won the 1-1.4-liter category and was voted Green Engine of the Year, beating both Toyota's and Honda's new electric-hybrid powerplants.Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the awards, said: "The international panel was impressed by this VW engine. It's a masterstroke of downsizing technology and a real engineering showcase. I have no doubt this engine will become the template for a new generation of efficient, small-capacity engines in the years to come."
Although losing out on the top award this year, BMW once again secured success with its mighty `M Power' 4-liter V8 topping the 3-4-liter category and its 3-liter DI Twin Turbo judged to be the best 2.5-3-liter engine. The Munich giant also shared a third category win with PSA for its 1.6-liter Turbo engine in the 1.4-1.8-liter category, an outstanding product generated by the two companies' joint powertrain development venture.
Also worthy of mention is Mercedes-Benz, which took three category wins. Its 2.1-liter diesel won the 2-2.5-liter category and its powerhouse, AMG-developed, 6.2-liter V8 won the Above 4-liter category, with the same unit also judged to be the Performance Engine of the Year.
The Awards, which were judged by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries across four continents, also rewarded other manufacturers for engine excellence in a number of different categories. Toyota won the Sub 1-liter category with its 998cc, three-cylinder engine; Audi was rewarded for its 2-liter, four-cylinder TFSI engine in the 1.8-2-liter category; and Porsche's 3.8-liter flat-six was voted New Engine of the Year.
The 11th annual International Engine of the Year Award ceremony took place at Engine Expo 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany on 17 June. The event saw a total of 12 awards given to those manufacturers who were judged to have achieved excellence in powertrain engineering.
International Engine of the Year Awards 2009 Winners
Best New Engine of 2009 Porsche 3.8-liter flat-six
Green Engine of the Year Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger
Performance Engine of the Year Mercedes-AMG 6.2-liter
Sub 1-liter Toyota 1-liter
1-1.4-liter Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger
1.4-1.8-liter
BMW-PSA 1.6-liter Turbo
1.8-2-liter Audi 2-liter TFSI
2-2.5-liter Mercedes-Benz Diesel 2.1-liter
2.5-3-liter BMW 3-liter DI Twin-Turbo
3-4-liter BMW 4-liter
V8 Above 4-liter Mercedes-AMG 6.2-liter
International Engine of the Year 2009 Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger