HERNDON, VA - Audi earned top honors for two engines on the respected "10 Best Engines" list from the editor of Ward's AutoWorld.

Both the turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI engine with the A4, and supercharged six-cylinder 3.0 TFSI engine for the sporty upgrade S4 model impressed the Ward's editors.  "This year's list embodies how the industry is responding to demands for higher fuel economy and lower emissions without shortchanging performance," Ward's AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter said. "Auto makers are using innovative designs and advanced technology to boost horsepower and torque while downsizing engines and increasing efficiency."

Audi is the first car company to sell 100 percent of its gasoline engines with FSI direct injection technology, starting with model year 2010. The Audi S4 sedan, new for 2010, ushered in a new era of downsizing while enhancing performance and handling over the previous generation 2008 sedan model.  Audi engines have been on the Ward's "10 Best Engines" list for six consecutive years and a total of eight times in the past 10 years.

"Audi fuel-efficient powertrain technologies excel at delivering exceptional driving performance with reduced environmental impact," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "The well-rounded approach the brand is undertaking will keep Audi in a leading position for the foreseeable future."

To be eligible for the competition, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2010, in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.

Throughout October and November, six editors of Ward's Automotive Group tested 34 vehicles from 13 automakers in their normal driving cycles in metro Detroit. They scored each engine based on horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance, and comparative data. Each engine was evaluated because it was all-new, offered significant technology upgrades or was a returning winner from last year.

The awards will be presented in Detroit during the North American International Auto January 13.