Kuala Lumpur, 24 August 2009 - Nasim Sdn Bhd, a member of the Naza Group of Companies and the official franchise holder of Peugeot Automobiles in Malaysia, today announced that the International Engine of the Year award in the 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre category was once again won by the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine designed by PSA Peugeot Citroën in cooperation with BMW Group.

“Nasim Sdn Bhd is very proud to be associated with Peugeot and extremely delighted with this highly significant award. The 1.6 litre Peugeot 308 VTi, 308 Turbo and 308 GT available in Malaysia are all equipped with variants of this award winning, best-in-class engine,” said SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman of the Naza Group of Companies and CEO of Nasim Sdn Bhd.

Introduced in 2007 on the Peugeot 207, variants of the 175-hp version of the engine also equips the Peugeot 308VTi, 308 Turbo, 308GT and 207CC. It is part of a full range of 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre engines that deliver from 95 to 175 hp and up to nearly 200 hp on certain models.

Equipped with the latest technological features, including direct injection for the turbo engine, variable valve timing for the naturally aspirated engine, a volume flow-controlled oil pump and an on-demand water pump, the family improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions by around 10% compared with the previous generation.

Engines in the 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre category currently equip a number of Peugeot models, including the Peugeot 207CC, 207SW, 308 sedan, 308CC, 308SW, 3008 and 5008. By 2010, nearly 75% of Peugeot models will be fitted with 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre petrol engines.

One of the most sought-after automotive accolades, the International Engine of the Year award is judged by an international panel of 65 renowned motoring journalists from 32 countries. Judges apply their impressions from driving today’s latest cars to help them find the powerplants that offer the best driveability, performance and economy, and reward manufacturers for the successful application of advanced engine technology.