Hyundai’s 4.6L V8 Tau engine named one of the top 10 engines of 2010

The 4.6L V8 Tau engine from Hyundai named one of the top ten engines of 2010!

Hyundai’s state-of-the-art 4.6L V8 Tau engine, which outranks similar competitive engines with 84 horsepower per liter – the highest specific output of any V8 engine in the segment, has been named one of the TOP 10 engines of the 2010.

This is for the second consecutive year that the Tau engine has been named to Ward’s top 10 engine list. In 2009 the same engine became the very first V8 engine, developed by any Korean carmaker, to make it to the list, compiled by the renowned US auto publication, the Ward’s Auto World.

The 4.6L V8 Tau engine, which took the automaker four years to develop, made its official debut when Hyundai unveiled its rear-wheel-drive Genesis luxury sedan, but it was also applied to other Hyundai and Kia cars, including Hyundai Equus and Kia Mohave SUV (known as Kia Borrego in US).

In its first application, the 4.6L V8 engine produced 375 horsepower, but for the 2010 model year, Hyundai announced the engine will churn out 10 more horsepower! With 385 horsepower and specific output of 84 horsepower per liter, the updated Tau powerplant will provide more horsepower than any other comparable V8 engine!

Although the engine has gotten a few more extra ponies, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis sedan, equipped with Tau V8 engine and mated to 6-speed automatic transmission the vehicle will still be able to achieve up to 25 MPG when highway driving! That is, according to Hyundai, better than many similar sedans, powered by less potent V6 engines, can get these days.

Built at Hyundai‘s engine plant in Ulsan city in South Korea, the V8 Tau engine delivers best-in-class combination of power and efficiency! According to Tom Murphy, the executive editor at Ward’s Auto World magazine, the 4.6L V8 Tau engine continues to dazzle with its combination of silky, smooth power delivery, aggressive tip-in, satisfying exhaust note and admirable fuel economy.