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Ward's reveals annual 10 Best Engines list for 2013

Ward's Auto has released its annual 10 Best Engines award winners. The 2013 list covers the full width and breadth of the internal combustion spectrum, from a spate of efficient four-cylinders to the most powerful production V8 on the planet. As always, the entries must be available in a production vehicle in the first quarter of 2013 with an MSRP of less than $55,000. The supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from the Audi S5 held on for the fourth consecutive year, and BMW earned two spots on the list with its turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder and turbo 3.0-liter inline-six.
Ford pulled in two awards for its 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and and the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 from the Shelby GT500. Honda matched BMW and Ford with two wins of its own. Wards awarded the 2.4-liter four-cylinder from the Honda Accord Sport as well as the 3.5-liter V6 from the Honda Accord. Chrysler, General Motors and Subaru each garnered a spot on the list as well for the 3.6-liter V6 in the Ram 1500, the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the Cadillac ATS and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder the Subaru BRZ, respectively. You can read the full press release below for more information.

US diesel model count to double for 2014?

While diesel cars are popular on most other continents, these less-complex alternative to hybrid-electric vehicles have yet to gain major traction in the US. As an increasing number of light cars and trucks start to offer these fuel-efficient engines, though, sales are expected to climb as well. While BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) continue to lead the way, more non-German automakers like Mazda, Nissan, Chrysler and General Motors are starting to get serious about diesel in America.
TheDetroitBureau.com reports that the 2014 model year will see the number of diesel vehicles offered in the US double to about 40 nameplates, but the news gets even better for fans of these torquey and efficient powerplants. LMC Automotive has released data about future expectations of diesel cars in the US, and it predicts that sales should be very close to one million units in 2015 (up from an expected 600,000 units this year). By 2018, LMC's calculations suggest that sales will more than double from this year's expected totals accounting for almost 8 percent of new light-vehicle sales.

Next-gen Audi Q7 shows off its wares ahead of Detroit

Audi has put the Q7 on a massive diet, trimming over 700 pounds. Meet what is sure to be one of the bigger debuts at the upcoming 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The next-generation Audi Q7 has been the subject of spy shots and conjecture for quite some time. After all, it was easily the oldest vehicle in the Audi range, having hit the market way back in 2006. But with this new model, Audi has comprehensively updated its fullsizer, adding some cutting-edge tech, updating some classic engines, and taking a whole lot out. As is the theme nowadays, particularly among large crossovers and SUVs, Audi has put the Q7 on a massive diet with a mix of ultra-high-strength, hot-shaped steel and aluminum, trimming over 700 pounds of body fat and lowering the Q7's weight to just under 4,400 pounds. This was accomplished while maintaining virtually identical dimensions to the current model. While Audi USA hasn't released its info on the Q7, the Euro-spec model will continue to offer a pair of engines that should be very familiar to US consumers, with a 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 gas engine and a 3.0-liter TDI V6. The European engines, though, have had their CO2 emissions halved, while actually increasing performance (we should expect similar from the US engines). The 3.0-liter TDI has been bumped up from 240 horsepower to 272 ponies, while torque is up from 406 pound-feet to 443. The 3.0-liter TDI has been bumped up from 240 horsepower to 272 ponies, while torque is up from 406 pound-feet to 443. This extra grunt has trimmed the 0-60 time from a leisurely 7.3 seconds down to 6.3, while the fuel economy has jumped up to 41.3 US miles per gallon, converted from the European cycle (so expect the EPA numbers to be a bit lower). The supercharged 3.0-liter, meanwhile, has been amped up to match the output of its application in the S4 sport sedan, jumping from 280 hp and 295 lb-ft to 333 ponies and 325 lb-ft. Once again, the 0-60 time falls dramatically thanks to the power bump and weight loss, dropping from 7.7 seconds to a far more zippy 6.1. The most exciting news is the long-rumored arrival of the Q7 E-Tron, a plug-in hybrid that's mated to a six-cylinder diesel engine and Quattro all-wheel drive. Audi claims this world-first production powertrain will return 138.4 US miles per gallon, emit less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometer and allow the Q7 E-Tron to travel up to 35 miles on electric power alone.