Bigger isn't better, says award-winning VW

Volkswagen's 1.4-litre twincharger engine has won the prestigious World Engine of the Year, and the Green Engine award.

But VW NZ general manager Dean Sheed isn't as chuffed as you'd think at beating engine award-hogs BMW to the top gong. It's the Green Award he's celebrating. With champagne? "Mate, it's not the 1980s."

Too true, hence the proliferation of smaller engines that combine more power than expected, with lower thirst. But how come Sheed refers to the twincharger by its 118kW power figure? "Right from day one of TSI we've tried to call them by the power not the capacity. We've done the research and the Kiwi male psyche says bigger is better. But most major car companies are signalling downsizing is the way to go for more power, decreased fuel and CO2," Sheed says.

Perhaps Kiwis are getting the message that a 1.4-litre can feel like a 2-litre car. Half the Golfs Sheed sells use TSI engines, the twincharger Scirocco has sold out, and the twincharger unit will arrive with Polo next year.

Volkswagen's win is doubly impressive when you consider the competition. More than 300 engines were in contention this year, and all are in production.

They were evaluated by a panel of 64 experts, deciding on eight classes. What are the judging criteria? NZ's only judge, Brian Cowan, says, "Economy, use of materials and resources, performance, cleanliness, advanced engineering, smoothness, a broad powerband - and as much as possible the emphasis is on advanced engineering."

Cowan says VW's win "pleased me inordinately as it was relatively new last year and a lot of markets hadn't woken up to it or hadn't got it".

"It's an outstanding engine and I think they've taken a step further than most people in terms of the future."

Mercedes was also a winner, its 6.2-litre AMG taking the above 4-litre and performance class "against its own 6.5 turbo, which I think most people thought was a step too far". It also won the 2.0 to 2.5-litre class, and the Audi TFSI fitted to the A4 and VW Scirocco took the 1.8-2.0.

BMW snaffled the 3- and 4-litre, the 2.5- and 3-litre and the 1.4- and 1.8-litre categories. The sole Japanese manufacturer to succeed was Toyota, its 1-litre Yaris scooping the sub-1 class.