Do we have a red carpet for engines, where once in a year they arrive in awesome cars and then walk down the aisle and at last the best of them is given an award for being the best? Obviously having something exactly like this is most certainly impossible, but yet we can have an Engine of the year award.

As I say it, I would love to let you know that Ford’s 1.0-liter Ecoboost unit has been named 2012 International Engine of the Year,  the “Best New Engine” and “Best Engine Under 1.0-litre”.

Too much to handle, right?

In the 13 year of the history of awards, this is the first time Ford has won it for itself and since the 1.0 liter engine got the accolades it represents, small and downsized can get the better scores.

“We set the bar incredibly high when we started to design this engine.  We wanted to deliver eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance, quietness and refinement – and all from a very small, three-cylinder engine,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford global powertrain vice president.

Before you google up why this engine, we will sum it up for you:

An exhaust manifold, cast into the cylinder head, lowers the temperature of exhaust gases to enable the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band

A unique cast iron block warms the engine more quickly than a conventional aluminium block to cut by 50 per cent the amount of “warm-up” energy required, and cut fuel consumption

Two main engine drive belts are immersed in oil to deliver a quieter, more efficient engine

Offsetting the engine configuration by deliberately “unbalancing” the flywheel and pulley instead of adding energy-draining balancer shafts.

With all these, this engine is as good as it gets.