VW Honored for World’s Best New Engine

Volkswagen AG's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with cylinder deactivation was named best new engine at this week's 2013 International Engine of the Year awards during Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.

The same engine without cylinder management topped the Engine of the Year award in the 1.0-1.4-liter category for the seventh consecutive time.

The awards are bestowed by an international panel of 87 automotive journalists. The group recognized Ford Motor Co.'s 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine as the best engine on the market for the second year in a row.

VW became the first carmaker to apply cylinder deactivation to an engine with only four cylinders last year when it introduced the technology in its Polo and Golf small cars. Like larger powerplants equipped with such systems, the 138-hp VW engine improves fuel economy by as much as 15%, according to the company by shutting down half its cylinders under light-load conditions.

The VW system activates only at engine speeds between 1,250 rpm and 4,000 rpm when torque output is between 18 lb-ft and 74 lb-ft. Under those conditions, a 6.6-lb system of sliding sleeves and mechanical actuators closes all four valves in each of the two middle cylinders within 36 milliseconds. The engine control module simultaneously cuts off fuel injection for the two cylinders.

The system also is designed not to activate if it detects an irregular use of the accelerator pedal, such as during sporty driving.

VW says it improved the fuel efficiency in both versions of the 1.4-liter engine by 9% this year such measures as reducing internal friction, trimming weight and optimizing thermal management. Adding cylinder deactivation increases the savings to as much as 15%, according to the company.