BMW Hybrid System Named International Engine of the Year

The hybrid-electric system that powers BMW's i8 plug-in hybrid supercar has been selected International Engine of the Year by a panel of 65 automotive journalists from 31 countries.

The BMW system, which includes a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, also won its segment (1.4-1.8 liters) and was deemed best new engine by the judges.

The awards, now in their 16th year, were announced this week in conjunction with the annual Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.

The i8 engine edged out Ford's EcoBoost 1.0-liter 3-cylinder powerplant, which won the last three years, by seven points to take the overall title. PSA Peugeot Citroen's 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbo finished third in the voting, one point ahead of Ferrari's 4.5-liter V-8.

Judges praised the i8 engine for its combination of fuel efficiency and performance. The car is rated at 95 miles per gallon and 49 g/km on the European driving cycle, while sprinting from zero to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds. In electric-only mode the vehicle can travel 23 miles and has a top speed of 75 mph.

The other categories and winning engines:

• Less than 1.0 liter: Ford 999-cc 3-cylinder turbo
• 1.0-1.4 liters: PSA Peugeot Citroen 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbo
• 1.4-1.8 liters: BMW 1.5-liter 3-cylinder electric-gasoline hybrid
• 1.8-2.0 liters: Mercedes-AMG 2-liter turbo
• 2.0-2.5 liters: Audi 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo
• 2.5-3.0 liters: BMW M 3-liter twin-turbo 6-cylinder
• 3.0-4.0 liters: Maclaren 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 (3.0-4.0-liters)
• Above 4.0 liters: Ferrari 4.5-liter V-8
• Green engine: Tesla full-electric powertrain
• New engine: BMW 1.5-liter three-cylinder electric-gasoline hybrid
• Performance engine: Ferrari 4.5-liter V-8

Judges evaluated the entries on fuel economy, smoothness, performance, noise and drivability. Each judge could award a total of 25 points among five engines for each segment category.