Ford has won the 2012 International Engine of the Year award thanks to its UK-built 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol unit.
The US-based car maker succeeds Fiat, which won the same honour last year with its 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol engine, currently available on the 500 supermini.
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The EcoBoost also took honours for the Best New Engine and Best Engine Under 1.0-litre during the International Engine of the Year awards, which was judged by a team of automotive journalists.
Ford's winning engine was launched back in November 2011, when it became available to UK motorists on the Focus family car range.
The downsized and turbocharged three-cylinder unit, created by a UK-based engineering team, is especially designed to challenge the traditional 1.6-litre units found on many family cars available in the market today.
In either hatchback or estate bodystyles the Ford Focus EcoBoost offers two outputs of either 98bhp or 123bhp.
The more powerful 123bhp unit offers an official fuel economy of 56.5mpg and emits 114g/km in CO2.
With the 98bhp unit the Focus officially returns 58.9mpg and emits just 109g/km in CO2.
In comparison that's 27g/km less produced than when the Focus uses the more traditional 83bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine found on the standard Studio trim.
While for now the 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine is only available on the Focus, it will become available later this year on other Ford models including the C-Max MPV and the upcoming B-Max mini-MPV, set to launch in the UK during September 2012.
The same Ecoboost engine is also expected to become available on the Ford Fiesta supermini during 2013.
Other category winners
All of the other categories covered during the 2012 International Engine of the Year awards were dominated by Italian and German car makers.
An exception to this dominance came in the Green Engine category which was won by US car giants General Motors for the 1.4-litre petrol engine featured on the company's Extended-Range Electric Vehicles, the Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera.
Like last year the Performance Engine and above 4-0 litre categories were scooped by Ferrari thanks to its 4.5-litre V8 featured on the 458 supercar.
BMW also scooped four awards in this ceremony, while its fellow German rivals Audi and Volkswagen took one award apiece.
On the other hand Fiat, which won three awards in total back in 2011 with its 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol, missed out on the awards completely this time round.
International Engine of the Year awards 2012 winners
International Engine of the Year -
Ford 1.0-litre/999cc Ecoboost three-cylinder turbo (Ford Focus)
New Engine -
Ford 1.0-litre/999c Ecoboost three-cylinder turbo (Ford Focus)
Green Engine -
GM 1.4-litre range extender (Chevrolet Volt, Vauxhall Ampera)
Performance Engine -
Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 (Ferrari 458 Italia, 458 Spider)
Under 1.0-litre -
Ford 1.0-litre/999cc Ecoboost three-cylinder turbo (Ford Focus)
1.0-litre to 1.4-litre -
Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Polo, Beetle, Golf, Golf Plus, Golf Cabriolet, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Tiguan, Sharan, Touran/Cross Touran and Passat CNG, Audi A1 and A3, Seat Ibiza FR, Alhambra and Cupra, Skoda Fabia RS)
1.4-litre to 1.8-litre -
BMW 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol (Mini Cooper S, Clubman Cooper S, Countryman Cooper S, Mini Works, Clubman Works)
1.8-litre to 2.0-litre -
BMW 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol (BMW 125i, 320i, 328i, 520i, Z4 20i, Z4 s Drive 28i, X1 20i, X3 20i, X1 28i)
2.0-litre to 2.5-litre -
Audi 2.5-litre turbo (Audi TT RS, RS3 Sportback)
2.5-litre to 3.0-litre -
BMW 3.0-litre bi-turbo six-cylinder petrol (BMW 1 Series M Coupe, 335is, Z4 35is)
3.0-litre to 4.0-litre -
BMW M 4.0-litre V8 (BMW M3 Coupe, M3 Convertible)
Above 4.0-litre -
Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 (Ferrari 458 Italia, 458 Spider)