A record seven of this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Engines winners integrate state-of-the-art direct fuel injection, demonstrating the rapid pace of technology development as auto makers downsize their engines in anticipation of strict U.S. fuel-economy rules.
Direct injection gained popularity more than a decade ago with the arrival of modern clean turbodiesel engines, especially in Europe, and now high-pressure gasoline direct injection is sweeping across the industry in everything from entry-level compacts to luxury cars and fullsize pickups.
Direct injection, whether deployed in diesel or gasoline engines, has been proven to reduce fuel consumption and improve low-end torque, which makes for quicker acceleration.
This year’s winners and the applications tested:
- 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi A6)
- 2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (BMW Z4/528i)
- 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i coupe)
- 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Chrysler 300S/Jeep Wrangler)
- 2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4 (Ford Edge)
- 5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang Boss 302)
- 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Buick Regal GS)
- 1.6L DOHC I-4 (Hyundai Accent/Kia Soul)
- 2.0L Skyactiv DOHC I-4 (Mazda3)
- 3.5L DOHC V-6 HEV (Infiniti M35h)
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