The big winner of the 2012 International Engine of the Year awards is Ford and it’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost powerplant, which beat last year’s winner, the Fiat 0.9-liter TwinAir, while also achieving the highest score ever with 401 points.

This is the first time that the Blue Oval has won International Engine of the Year in the 13-year history of the awards. And that’s not all as the Detroit carmaker’s small displacement petrol engine also received two other awards, namely “Best New Engine” and “Best Engine Under 1.0-litre”.

Dean Slavnich, chairman of the International Engine of the Year awards and editor of Engine Technology International magazine, commented:

“This is a fitting victory for a truly remarkable engine. For a three-cylinder to power a vehicle like the Ford Focus with such ease proves that the future is very, very bright for the internal combustion engine. Power, response and very good real-world fuel consumption figures are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this engine and what it offers drivers today. Well done, Ford!”

In the other categories, GM and its 1.4-liter range-extender hybrid powerplant motivating the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera picked up the title of “Green Engine”, while the Ferrari 458 Italian’s V8 won the “Performance Engine” award.

The “Best Engine” title in the “1.0-liter to 1.4-liter” category was awarded to VW Group’s 1.4-liter TSI, and the “1.4-liter to 1.8-liter” to the BMW Group / PSA Peugeot Citroen 1.6-liter Turbo.

BMW swooped three more titles including the “1.8-liter to 2.0-liter” for its 2.0-liter Twin-Turbo gasoline unit, the “2.5-liter to 3.0-liter” for its 3.0-liter turbocharged six petrol, and the “3.0-liter to 4.0-liter” for the M3’s V8.

The “2.0-liter to 2.5-liter” award went to Audi’s 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five, while the “Above 4.0-liter” to the Ferrari 458 Italia’s V8.

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