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Ward's Automotive Ten Best Engines of 2014 dominated by diesels, turbos

With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.
The latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year.
"We weren't looking to throw the bums out, as they might say about an election. We were just really impressed with the flood of new powertrains," said Ward's Automotive Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. Those new powertrains include the 83-kilowatt electric motor from the Fiat 500e, the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Ford Fiesta and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel from the Chevrolet Cruze.

Court puts kibosh on apartheid lawsuit against Ford, Daimler

Ford and Daimler have scored a major victory in a long-running lawsuit filed in US federal court by unnamed South African nationals. The suit alleges that both manufacturers and their subsidiaries sold their vehicles to the South African military, despite knowing that they'd be involved in violently putting down anti-apartheid protesters.
According to Reuters, South African plaintiffs filed the case under the 223-year-old Alien Torts Statute, a law which allows foreign nationals to file charges in US courts for perceived breaches of what was originally international law, but now more closely relates to violations of human rights.
And while the case - which also involves computer manufacturer IBM - has been tied up in federal courts for years, a recent case from the Supreme Court struck down a similar suit against Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell), arguing that the ATS doesn't apply to corporations or to conduct if it occurred outside the US. In short, the law applies to individuals, but not corporations like Ford or Daimler. A US appeals court ruled that the conditions apply in this case, potentially drawing this long-running saga to a close, as the defendants will now be allowed to request that the case be dismissed in district court.

NHTSA probes 2014 Ford Edge Sport 22-inch alloy wheels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into the 2014 Ford Edge Sport for the possibility its 22-inch wheels could break while on the road. This affects an estimated 20,000 examples of the crossover, according to NHTSA. The case that instigated this evaluation was submitted to NHTSA in November 2014. The driver reported that the front, right corner of the vehicle suddenly dipped, and the Edge went into a field. No one was harmed, but upon investigation, the wheel had broken into two pieces, according to The Detroit News. When this happened, this crossover had been driven an estimated 8,500 miles. NHTSA's preliminary evaluations are meant "to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles." If a problem is discovered during the investigation, this process can lead to a recall. Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker told Autoblog, "We will cooperate with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do." INVESTIGATION Subject : Wheel Separation Date Investigation Opened: MAY 20, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15020 Component(s): WHEELS All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) FORD EDGE 2014 Details Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company SUMMARY: On November 29, 2014, ODI received a complaint (ODI No. 10661278) reporting the sudden failure of an original equipment 22-inch alloy wheel rim that failed on a model year 2014 Ford Edge. The right-front corner of the vehicle suddenly dropped while driving, causing the vehicle to drive off the road and into a field. The right-front wheel rim was found to have broken into two pieces. The owner said that there was no prior warning or wheel related problems with the vehicle. The vehicle had been driven approximately 8,500 miles at the time of the incident. A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Related Video: