Here are the 10 best engines in the world today

Wards released the latest edition of its annual list of best engines in the world. For 2016, the 10 winners are an eclectic bunch. There are four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines, along with a diesel and a trio of hybrids.

This is the 22nd time Wards has conducted the competition to find the best engine in the world. Eight of the 10 are new to the list for 2016, with two being holdovers from last year.

According to Wards, only new or significantly reengineered engines or propulsion systems that are available for sale in the US and are installed in cars having a base price of less than $61,000 are eligible for the top 10. In addition, the winners from the previous year are also eligible to defend their crowns. But all VW Group products were banned this year from the list, as a result of the company's ongoing emissions scandal.

A total of 31 candidates were evaluated by the publication's editors in real-life, on-road driving conditions in October and November. Wards scored each engine based on horsepower, torque, comparative specs, noise attenuation, fuel economy, and application of new technology.

Check out all the winners: