Volkswagen Motorsport chief Jost Capito dedicated the team's Rally Mexico win to the engine builder after the Polo R WRC emerged successful from its toughest test yet last weekend.
There had been strong speculation that the engine would be the weak spot of Volkswagen's first ever World Rally car as performance improvements would not come until late in the year.
Last weekend's event is also one of the toughest for engines in the WRC, given the high-altitude nature of the roads. VW driver Sebastien Ogier won the Leon event by more than three minutes to take his second straight WRC victory.
Capito said: "We would like to dedicate this win to the engine guys, both in Volkswagen Motorsport and Volkswagen AG. They have worked so well together in developing the engine. Coming with this engine for the first time to this altitude, we know this was always going to be one of the most difficult things in the rally.
"The biggest challenge was to come here and keep giving the team the power and what they have done is extraordinary. To win with that engine in the neighborhood of the country's Volkswagen plant makes us very proud people."