BMW Diesel Gets International Engine of the Year Award
The International Engine of the Year awards recognize automobile manufacturers for making the best engines in the world and, this year, a diesel from BMW was among the top winners.
The awards, which are organized by Engine Technology International, are judged by a panel of 65 automotive journalists from 32 countries and have been awarded annually since 1999. The engines, which this year included gasoline, diesel, and hybrid-electric, are ranked on driveability, performance, economy, and refinement.
The BMW 2-liter twin-turbo diesel won the in the 1.8-liter to 2-liter category and is found in the BMW X1 xDrive23d, the BMW 123d, and the Mini Cooper S.
The entire engine block is made of aluminum, which resulted in a weight reduction of 20 kg from earlier models. It uses third-generation Bosch common rail injection and produces 204 hp along with fuel consumption of 5.5 l/100 km (42.7 mpg).
This is the second time this particular engine has been recognized by the International Engine of the Year judges; it won the Best New Engine category in 2008.
The judges’ comments were telling. Dave VanderWerp from Car said that the engine is “the most responsive, linear and eager-to-rev diesel that I’ve ever driven. Plus it returns impressive fuel economy.”
Matt Davis, a freelance journalist with outlets such as AutoExpress in the United Kingdom, was also impressed. “Stunning how much this small-capacity diesel feels like the best V6 gas engine ever built,” he commented.
Previous diesel winners include the Mercedes-Benz Diesel 2.1-litre (2009, in the 2-liter to 2.5 liter category), the BMW 3-liter twin-turbo diesel (2006, in the 2.5-liter to 3-liter category), and the Fiat-GM 1.3-liter diesel (0205, in the 1-liter to 1.4 liter category).
Other 2010 award winners include the Fiat 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo (Best New Engine of the Year), the Toyota 1.8-liter Hybrid (Best Green Engine of the Year), the Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger (in the 1-liter to 1.4-liter category), the Audi 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo (in the 2-liter to 2.5-liter category), the BMW 3-liter DI twin turbo (in the 2.5-liter to 3-liter category), the BMW 4-liter V-8 (in the 3-liter to 4-liter category), and the Mercedes-AMG 6.2-liter (in the above 4-liter category).
