New Car Scoop

Ward’s Auto has released its annual list of the Ten Best Engines for the new year. There are a lot of great engines in here, however there’s something missing. Let’s see if you can guess:

• 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)

It seems as though all the new cars have very useful, reliable and efficient engines, all the performance engines to come out of BMW, VW and Mercedes are nowhere to be found. The only traditional performance based engine that remains on the list is the venerable Hemi. Despite this, we are seeing engines that offer a unique combination of efficiency and performance (BMW’s 3.0L turbodiesel, 3,0L petrol, VW’s 2.0L turbodiesel and Audi’s 2.0L TFSI petrol engine). These engines mark the very peak of efficiency, yet sit in inside of cars that are known for being spunky (VW Jetta), handle very well (BMW 335d) and are known for their race car attitude (BMW 135i). It seems though the high performance engines likely to be in your M3 or GT-R aren’t on this list, Ward’s hasn’t gone completely boring and given the Toyota Prius Hybrid Drive the top 10 spots. However, whether you’re a weekend racer or a discerning traveler looking for something that’s going to get you far and not break on the way there, buying a new car is going to yeild some of the best engines we’ve seen in cars yet!

Press Release:

Ward’s Announces 2009 10 Best Engines Winners

SOUTHFIELD, MI – Amid plummeting vehicle sales, thousands of job losses, an economy officially in recession and pleas for federal assistance, a handful of auto makers have cause to celebrate.

Ward’s Automotive Group announces its 2009 10 Best Engines list, which reflects the diversity of powertrains that will play a role in reshaping America’s automotive landscape.

Selected by Ward’s editors, 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 winners for 2008 (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)

Awards to be presented during Detroit auto show in January.

“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 (7.8 L/100 km) during our testing, and often they topped 40 mpg (5.8 L/100 km),” he says. “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.”

Among the winners is Ford Motor Co.’s redesigned 2.5L 4-cyl. hybrid-electric powertrain, which motivated President and CEO Alan Mulally’s Escape Hybrid cross/utility vehicle to and from Washington D.C. for federal-aid talks, makes the cut.

During Ward’s testing, the front-wheel-drive HEV managed to easily surpass the federal fuel-economy rating of 34/31 city/highway mpg (6.9-7.5 L/100 km).

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 stunning 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.
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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 CUVs, 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 Ward’s 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 first-quarter 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 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.

Yesterday Toyota released their November sales numbers. As you can expect, most models were down heavily in sales from a year ago. However, one in particular stood out as decidedly up, the Toyota Sequoia which was up in sales by over 50% (1,873 in 2008 vs 1,233 in 2007). On a year-to-date scale, the numbers look a little better for the rest of the brand. Yaris sales are up over 23%, the Scion xB has seen almost a 3% gain and Scion xD has seen a vast 186% sales increase vs. the same time in 2007 (though there were only 9300 sold by this time last year due to it being a new model). Land Cruisers and Sequoia were both up around 36% since last year and even at that time they saw significant sales numbers. In total, Toyota has seen a 8.4% drop in new car sales compared to the same time last year. Considering the doom and gloom GM, Chrysler and Ford are espousing, you’d think it’s the end of the world. However, Toyota’s innovative production facilities, excellent product offerings and excellent quality (not to mention their lack of labor and pension overhead) have kept them chugging along at a steady pace only slowing down because of the consumer’s lack of cash. However, their range of inexpensive Scions, Yarises and other sub-compact cars have kept American’s hankering for a new car well supplied.

Source: Toyota

The December 15 unveiling of the all-new BMW Z4 can’t come soon enough. However, as we get closer to the day, more teaser pictures seem to emerge from the internet. This more aggressive version of the super popular roadster deviates from the “flare surface” design of the previous Z4, but don’t think for a second Chris Bangle has stopped designing BMWs. He’s still in control of BMW design, and this just shows the evolution of his design into the next, more aggressive step.
Personally, I think it looks like the old Z8. The front grill accents and parallel door section have that BMW 507 look. As most car companies seem to be harking back to the days of yore (Mustang, Charger), perhaps even BMW isn’t immune to nostalgia.

The version in the picture is a retractable hard-top (no rag top this time, at least not until later).
Until we see official pictures it’s hard to make a judgment, but it looks pretty good thus far in our book.  Maybe we just have a thing for “Z” cars?

Here’s a rendition of the rear for good measure: