Internal combustion engine equipped with intake air heating and method to operate such an engine

The engine has a heating device (7) i.e. electric heater, comprising strip-like heating elements (8) whose narrow side faces toward an intake combustion air (11a). The heating device is arranged adjacent to a distributor junction point (4) at which intake lines (3a-3d) merge together to form an entire intake line (6), where a spacing between the heating device and the junction point is smaller than diameter of cylinders (1a-1d). An external exhaust gas recirculation line opens into the entire intake line upstream of the heating device. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating an internal combustion engine.