Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2015 were announced today and BMW has two powerplants listed as winners.
The 127-kW Electric Motor found in the BMW i3 electric vehicle and the 1.5L Turbocharged DOHC 3-cylinder. found in the MINI Cooper and the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer are the two powerplants that take home the trophy. BMW is also the only automaker with two engines on the Ward’s list.
To be eligible for the Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition, an engine or propulsion system must be all-new or significantly re-engineered and available in the U.S. market with a base price not exceeding $60,000.
This year’s pool of 37 nominees includes last year’s 10 winners and 27 new entries. Eight WardsAuto editors drove the vehicles in October and November in their routine daily commutes around metro Detroit. Editors scored each engine based on power, torque, technology, observed fuel economy, relative competitiveness and noise, vibration and harshness characteristics.
The awards will be presented to top powertrain executives from the winning automakers at a January 14 ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show.
The 2015 Ward’s 10 Best Engines are:
127-kW Electric Motor (BMW i3 electric vehicle)
6.2L OHV V-8 (Chevrolet Corvette Stingray)
6.2L Supercharged OHV V-8 (Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat)
1.0L Turbocharged DOHC 3-cyl. (Ford Fiesta)
100-kW Fuel Cell (Hyundai Tucson FCV)
1.5L Turbocharged DOHC 3-cyl. (Mini Cooper)
3.0L Turbodiesel DOHC V-6 (Ram 1500 EcoDiesel)
2.0L Turbocharged DOHC H-4 (Subaru WRX)
1.8L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Volkswagen Jetta)
2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Volvo S60)
