BMW 520d vs Peugeot 508 2.2 Hdi

Not all car manufacturers are created equal and all have different levels of engineering. This is due to their history, philosophy and their approach to design and engineering.
Companies such as Toyota are very conservative and but they constantly introduce various new technologies as they go along. Their rate of technology introduction is not as fast as they strive for out right reliability before allowing the technology to be part of their new car. Then there are companies such as BMW are more dramatic and always introduce some new technology with every new model launched. This naturally puts them ahead of most of their competitors and make them look like serious innovators.
The major car manufacturers invest hundreds of millions of dollars in engineering and research and development every year to improve their cars. I shall discuss an example of the different levels of engineering for 2 different car companies with similar classed models.

BMW - F10 520d - this model is the entry level model for BMW's 5 series range. Putting out 184hp and 380Nm, this car promises refinement, good handling, comfortable ride and very good fuel economy. At present the 520d is one of the top selling 5 series model for BMW. It is able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds while consuming just 5.2 litres per 100km of diesel.

Peugeot 508 2.2 HDi - this is a flag ship model for Peugeot with good interior space, decent ride and handling and good exterior looks. The performance of this car is also good for a diesel engine with performance figures standing at 201hp and 450Nm. This car is able to accelerate from 01-00km/h in 8.2 seconds while consuming  5.7 litres per 100km of diesel.

These two cars are of similar size and weight but both car companies demonstrate the different levels of engineering. The BMW is still superior in engine and transmission technology as their 520d model is able to out perform the Peugeot in terms of acceleration and fuel economy. Overall the performance difference between the 2 cars is very close. It is not that the Peugeot is not good. It is just not as good as the BMW overall. One would argue that both cars are  in a different league because of price however price should not be a factor as these two cars are of similar size, weight and category. On paper the Peugeot has more power and torque but why is it not translated into real world performance? At a glance, one would expect the Peugeot to easily out perform the BMW as the Peugeot has 17hp and 70Nm advantage over the BMW. The difference is in the transmission system and how the power is put to the wheels. Having high performance engines is good but having a weak or inefficient transmission will really take the bite of the advantage from the engine.