Volkswagen has bagged the big one at the 2009 International Engine of the Year Awards, which took place in Stuttgart, Germany today, winning the EOTY accolade for the first time in the company's history with its 1.4l TSI Twincharger engine.
The unit is offered across much of the VW model range, including the Golf, Scirocco and Eos, and is used to good effect by Seat in the Ibiza Cupra. The turbocharged and supercharged block also won the 1.0l to 1.4l category and was voted Green Engine of the Year, beating both Toyota's and Honda's new electric-hybrid powerplants.
Although losing out on the top award this year, BMW once again secured success at the Awards with its mighty 4.0l V8 topping the 3.0l to 4.0l category and its 3.0l DI Twin Turbo took the honours in the 2.5l to 3.0l category. The company also shared a third category win with PSA for their 1.6l Prince turbocharged engine in the 1.4l to 1.8l category.
Mercedes-Benz didn't walk away empty handed, what with three category wins. Its 2.1l diesel won the 2.0l to 2.5l category and its powerhouse, AMG-developed 6.2l V8 won the Above 4.0l category, with the same unit also judged to be the Performance Engine of the Year.
Indeed, the Germans have much to be proud of, having walked away with 11 of the 12 awards on call.
The Awards, which are judged by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries across four continents, also rewarded a variety of other manufacturers for engine excellence in a number of different categories. Toyota won the Sub 1.0l category with its 998cc, three-cylinder engine; Audi was rewarded for its 2.0l, four-cylinder TFSI engine in the 1.8l to 2.0l category; and Porsche's 3.8l flat-six was voted New Engine of the Year. ? --The Star/Asia News Network
