150PS to 250PS

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That was very much the case
at these awards for Audi’s 2-litre four-cylinder TFSI petrol engine, which for five long years lost out on the now-defunct 1.8-litre to 2.0-litre title to similarly displaced turbo offerings from German rivals Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

However, thanks to a newly developed combustion process and comprehensive package of high-tech solutions designed to ensure sporty driving performance and high levels of efficiency, the Ingolstadt-built unit has finally claimed its first victory.

Technical finesses to the 200PS variant include the exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder head, the Audi valvelift system for the intake valves, the rotary slide module for thermal management, and the electrical wastegate of the turbo
and dual injection – in the partial load range, indirect intake manifold injection enhances direct injection. Furthermore, in partial-load operation, the four-cylinder realises the fuel economy benefits of a smaller-volume engine, while offering the benefits of an engine with large displacement at higher loads.

For example, in Audi’s latest A1 Sportback, the 2-litre engine offers combined fuel consumption of 6 litres/100km (39.2mpg), combined CO2 emissions of 136g/km and produces 320Nm of torque from 1,500-4,400rpm. And with the OEM’s six-speed S tronic transmission, the supermini sprints from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in just 6.5 seconds before reaching a maximum speed of 235km/h (146mph).

Such is the incredible flexibility
and modularity of the 2-litre TFSI unit that it successfully powers no fewer than 27 applications from four brands within the Volkswagen Group. Whether it’s inside Audi’s iconic two-seater TT sports car, the SEAT León Cupra, Škoda Superb, or even Volkswagen’s giant seven-seat Atlas SUV, this versatile four-cylinder engine is perhaps the greatest example of rightsizing in the modern era.