- Hybrid vehicles top the list of Ward’s 10 Best Engines
- Two all-electric vehicles are on the list, which is now called “Best Engines & Propulsion Systems”
- Ward’s scores are based on horsepower, torque, NVH management, observed efficiency, and new technology
This year’s winners of the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list (now technically called Ward’s 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems, thanks to the rise of EVs) are awash with electrification. This year, a quartet of standard hybrids plus a pair of plug-in hybrids were judged to be amongst the industry’s best powerplants, plus two all-electric vehicles. In fact, only nine ICE power teams were included this year in a field comprised of 35 competitors.
Ward’s says its list has recognized three decades of propulsion systems, scoring them based on horsepower, torque, NVH management, observed efficiency, and new technology. There is no price cap, though that is largely self policing since value is part of the ranking criteria. Only powertrains which are all-new or significantly improved are eligible for testing.
That latter notation explains the glut of electrified entrants in this competition, since that is the technology automakers are pursuing in this modern era. Variants range from hybrids with four-cylinder engines as their muse to ones with a burly V8 attached, while the internal combustion crowd ranges from a racey and high-strung turbocharged three-banger to a turbo inline-six designed for duty in pickup trucks.
In alphabetical order, Ward’s lists the winners — and the vehicles in which they are installed.
- BMW X5 xDrive50e – 3.0L Turbocharged I-6 PHEV
- Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray – 6.2L V-8 HEV
- Ford F-150 PowerBoost – 3.5L Turbocharged V-6 HEV
- Honda Civic Hybrid – 2.0L I-4 HEV
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD – Electric Propulsion System
- Kia EV9 GT – Electric Propulsion System
- Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid – 3.0L Turbocharged V-6 HEV
- Ram 1500 Tungsten – 3.0L Turbocharged I-6
- Toyota Camry XSE AWD – 2.5L I-4 HEV
- Toyota Corolla GR – 1.6L Turbocharged I-3
Some of the powerplants, such as the BMW, are repeat winners who returned from last year. Trophies will be doled out in October at an awards ceremony in downtown Detroit.
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