Stuttgart, Germany - Ford's 1-litre EcoBoost engine is proving to be a giant killer of note - the little three-cylinder turbopetrol has just been named International Engine of the Year for the third year running.
The contest is judged by a panel of 82 motoring journalists from 35 countries and this year saw the 999cc Ford engine tally up 351 points to oust the Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 (281 points), VW's twin-charged 1.4-litre TSI (254), Mercedes-AMG's 2-litre turbopetrol (252) and Tesla's electric engine (225).
“This year's competition was the fiercest yet,” exclaimed awards co-chairman Dean Slavnich, “but the 1-litre EcoBoost continues to stand out for all the right reasons - great refinement, surprising flexibility and excellent efficiency.”
The 1-litre EcoBoost is fitted to a wide variety of Ford products, including the Fiesta and EcoSport in South Africa, while next year's upgraded Focus will also be fitted with this high-tech three-pot.
However, the contest was not just about one engine as there were numerous category awards recognising mechanical excellence right across the automotive spectrum, from frugal city cars right through to hardcore sports cars.
CATEGORY WINNERS:
PERFORMANCE ENGINE
1. Ferrari 4.5-litre V8
2. Ferrari 6.3-litre V12
3. McLaren 3.8-litre V8
NEW ENGINE
1. Mercedes-AMG 2-litre turbo
2. BMW 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo
3. BMW full-electric powertrain (i3)
GREEN ENGINE
1. Tesla full-electric powertrain
2. BMW 647cc hybrid range-extender (i3)
3. BMW full-electric powertrain (i3)
ABOVE 4-LITRE
1. Ferrari 4.5-litre V8
2. Ferrari 6.3-litre V12
3. Mercedes-AMG 5.5-litre V8 turbo
3-LITRE TO 4-LITRE
1. McLaren 3.8-litre turbo
2. Audi/Bentley 4-litre V8 turbo
3. Porsche 3.8-litre boxer DI
2.5-LITRE TO 3-LITRE
1. BMW 3-litre TwinPower turbo
2. Porsche 2.7-litre boxer DI
3. BMW M 3-litre turbo
2-LITRE TO 2.5-LITRE
1. Audi 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo
2. Mazda 2.2-litre Skyactiv diesel
3. Mercedes-Benz 2.1-litre CDI diesel
1.8-LITRE TO 2-LITRE
1. Mercedes-AMG 2-litre turbo
2. Audi 2-litre TFSI turbo
3. BMW 2-litre turbodiesel
1.4-LITRE TO 1.8-LITRE
BMW/PSA 1.6-litre turbo
BMW 1.5-litre 3-cyl turbo
VW/Audi 1.8-litre TFSI turbo
1-LITRE TO 1.4-LITRE
1. VW 1.4-litre TSI twin-charged
2. Fiat 1.4-litre Multiair turbo
3. VW 1.4-litre TSI turbo
SUB 1-LITRE
1. Ford 1.0 EcoBoost 3-cyl turbo
2. BMW 647cc hybrid range-extender (i3)
3. VW 999cc 3-cyl