Year of the Hybrid

As automakers shift from a nearly laser-focused emphasis on battery-electric vehicles to a more nuanced approach to electrification including a range of hybrid offerings, so does the 2024 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winners’ circle.

This year’s list includes eight electrified vehicles, but four of those are standard hybrids while two more are plug-in hybrids. Two widely different BEVs claim trophies, along with a pair of equally divergent internal-combustion powertrains.

Wards editors evaluated 34 nominees for 2024: 25 electrified vehicles, including 13 BEVs, six HEVs and six PHEVs, along with nine ICEs. Most of the hybrids employed 4-cyl. support, but hybridization also was deployed with three 6-cyls. and two V-8s.

The ICE nominees featured one 3-cyl., three 4-cyls., three 6-cyls. and two V-8s. Seven ICEs employed forced induction and two came with 6-speed manual gearboxes. Displacement ranged from a diminutive turbocharged 1.2L I-4 to a monster supercharged 5.2L V-8.

The Wards 10 Best list has recognized 30 years’ worth of propulsion systems, with scoring based on horsepower, torque, NVH management, observed efficiency and new technology onboard. A price cap for nominees that had been in place since 1995 was removed in 2021; value remains part of the criteria, however. While evaluating the vehicles, only powertrains that are all-new or significantly improved are eligible for testing.

“With the electrified market mix shifting to a blend of battery-electrics and hybrids, our list truly reflects – and predicts – where propulsion system development is headed as the industry continues its transition from internal-combustion power to full electrification,” says Bob Gritzinger, WardsAuto editor-in-chief.

“Our judges are equally excited about the wide range of propulsion systems on our 30^th annual list, whether in the form of a battery-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or internal-combustion-powered vehicle,” he says. “It’s truly a fantastic time to be able to sample and appreciate the variety of powertrains the industry has to offer.”
The 2024 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems Winners, listed alphabetically:

Winners will be honored Oct. 10 during the Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems invitation-only awards ceremony at Huntington Place convention center in downtown Detroit. Learn more about the event by clicking here.