Winners to be honored at award ceremony October 23 in Metro Detroit

Southfield, MI, September 23, 2025 – WardsAuto has unveiled the winners of its prestigious 2025 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems awards. In a historic shift reflecting the automotive industry's rapid evolution, the 2025 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems awards showcase an unprecedented level of electrification. For the first time in the program's 31-year history, 90% of winning powertrains feature some form of electrification, with only a single non-electrified winner making the prestigious list. This milestone underscores the growing consumer acceptance of electrified vehicles in the American market, particularly in hybrid form.

Hybrid powertrains continue to lead the electrification charge, securing five positions among this year's winners compared to four all-electric propulsion systems. These winning hybrid systems demonstrate remarkable engineering achievements, delivering attributes that are sure to resonate with today's consumers. As Christie Schweinsberg, manager of Wards 10 Best awards programs notes, "The hybrid winners on our 2025 list strike a perfect balance of power, fuel economy and value. They are also some of the most technically complex powertrains we've ever tested."

The 2025 winners emerged from a competitive field of 28 nominees, including 20 electrified vehicles evenly split between battery-electric and hybrid powertrains. This year's selection process evaluated powertrains based on horsepower, torque, NVH management, observed efficiency, and technological innovation, with value remaining a key criterion despite the removal of the price cap in 2021. The results reflect the auto industry's strategic pivot toward electrification while acknowledging that hybrid technology currently offers many consumers the most practical pathway to reduced emissions without compromising on driving range or convenience.

2025 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems Winners (listed in alphabetical order):

• BMW M5 – 4.4L Turbocharged V-8 PHEV
• Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – 5.5L twin-turbo V-8
• Dodge Charger Daytona – Electric Propulsion System
• Ford F-150 – 3.5L Turbocharged V-6 HEV (2024 returning winner)
• Honda Civic Hybrid –2.0L I-4 HEV (2024 returning winner)
• Hyundai Ioniq 9 – Electric Propulsion System
• Lexus LX 700h – 3.4L Turbocharged V-6 HEV
• Lucid Gravity – Electric Propulsion System
• Mercedes-AMG E53 – 3.0L Turbocharged I-6 PHEV
• Nissan Leaf – Electric Propulsion System

The 2025 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winners will be honored October 23 during an award ceremony at Lovett Hall at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.

The event is an exclusive, invite-only gathering for winning automakers, sponsors and credentialed members of the press and media.

ABOUT WARDS 10 BEST ENGINES & PROPULSION SYSTEMS

Celebrating its 31^st anniversary, Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems honors innovative engineering in the latest powertrains offered in vehicles in the U.S. market. The winners showcase a diverse array of internal combustion and electrified propulsion technologies. Each year, WardsAuto editors rigorously evaluate a wide variety of vehicles, meticulously scoring each powertrain on various factors. The ceremony brings together hundreds of the world’s leading powertrain experts to honor the crème de la crème of the industry for their outstanding achievements in powertrain excellence.