Mated to marque's DSG system, the four-cylinder block is said to combine a turbocharger and supercharger to whack out 178 brake horsepower and 240Nm of torque at 1,500rpm on a fuel sip of 6.2 litres per 100km (45.5mpg).

'It's a masterstroke of downsizing technology and a real engineering showcase,' says Engine Technology International editor and Engine Oscars spokesman Dean Slavnich. 'This engine will become the template for a new generation of high-efficiency, small capacity engines in the years to come.'

Even the speedy marques are downsizing - and still tweaking for more poke. Porsche's 3.8-litre flat-six outsprinted BMW's diesel 3-litre, 4.4-litre DI Turbo (in the 750i and X6) and Jaguar's 5-litre V8 Supercharged block in the XF and XK to scoop New Engine of the Year. Its output in the 911 Carrera S has been increased by 30bhp to 385bhp, 'pushing [it] beyond 300km/h', the marque says. Fuel consumption in the new double-clutch models can be reduced by more than 13 per cent and carbon dioxide emissions by almost 15 per cent, Porsche says, citing the Carrera S Coup?'s 10.2l/100km on combined runs.

BMW's 4-litre V8 also took mighty scalps to retain the 3-litre to 4-litre category award it won last year. Fitted in the M3, the block outpointed Porsche's 3.8-litre flat sixes in its 911s and GT3, the Nissan GT-R's 3.8-litre Twin Turbo and Toyota's hybrid 3.5-litre V6 in the Lexus GS450h, RX and Toyota Crown ranges. It also left the Porsche Boxster and Cayman S's 3.4-litre flat-six in the dust with reported promises of 420hp at 8,250rpm and 100km/h in 4.2 seconds. The three-litre, 306 hp six-cylinder block with Twin Turbo and High Precision Injection in the BMW 135, 335, X6, Z4 and 730 also outdid the marque's own 3-litre Twin Turbo and the Audi S4's 3-litre DI Supercharged to take the 2.5-litre to 3-litre engine category for the third consecutive time.

BMW also highlighted the benefits of inter-marque collaboration with Peugeot when their 1.6-litre, four-cylinder direct injection turbo petrol engine pipped the 1.8-litre hybrid block in the Toyota Prius to win 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre category.

Introduced in 2007 in the Peugeot 207, the 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre engine range delivers 95bhp to 175bhp and is capable of 200bhp, the French marque says. Equipped with direct injection for the turbo engine, variable valve timing and a volume flow-controlled oil pump, this engine range improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions by about 10 per cent compared with the previous generation, Peugeot says, citing how the block is fitted in the Peugeot 207 hatchback, 207 CC, 207 SW, 308 hatchback, 308 CC, 308 SW and 3008. The engine also powers BMW's Mini Cooper S and Mini Clubmans.

'By 2010, 75 per cent of all Peugeot vehicles will be equipped with 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre petrol engines,' the French marque says.

Mercedes-Benz won three awards. The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine took the 'Best Performance' ahead of the BMW 5-litre V10 in the M5 and M6, the Jaguar 5-litre V8 Supercharged. the Porsche GT3's 3.8-litre flat six, the BMW M3's 4-litre V8 and the Ferrari 599 GTB's 6-litre V12.

Used in seven AMG high-performance cars, the block also dominated the over-4-litre category with the promise of 100km/h in 4.6 seconds, 525hp and 630Nm of torque.

Mercedes-Benz's Diesel 2.1-litre block outrevved the Audi 2.5-litre five-cylinder Turbo in the TT RS and the 2.5-litre flat-four Turbo in Subaru's Forester, Impreza and Legacy to scoop the 2-litre to 2.5-litre category. Used in the BlueEfficiency C-Class and E-Class, the direct-injection four-cylinder diesel develops 204hp with a maximum torque of 500Nm.

'The C 250 CDI BlueEfficiency Saloon equipped with this engine has a combined fuel consumption of 5.1 litres per 100km, showing exemplary efficiency,' the marque says. 'The 170 hp variant is happy with 4.8 litres of diesel fuel per 100km corresponding to CO2 emissions of 127g/km.'

Audi's 2-litre, 4-cylinder TFSI engine overtook BMW 123d's Diesel 2-litre Twin Turbo to win its fifth 1.8-litre to 2-litre award. The marque was the first to combine petrol direct injection with turbocharging in volume production when it fitted a 2.0 TFSI into the A3 Sportback in 2004. The block has since been 'the engine of choice for over 1.3 million customers', the marque says.

The latest version in the Audi A4, A5 and Q5 is equipped with the Audi valve-lift system that regulates the valve lift in two stages, Audi says. 'It acts on the turbo engine's exhaust valves. Together with an intake camshaft that can be adjusted through 60 degrees, it improves the charge cycle and boosts pulling power.'

The 2.0 TFSI is also available in the VW Scirocco and Golf GT and Audi speedsters ranging from 170hp to 265hp for the A3, S3, A4, A5 and A6, as well as for the Q5 and TT lines. It can also bang out 272hp in an Audi TTS Coup? equipped with optional S-tronic dual-clutch transmission to hit 100km/h in 5.2 seconds, the marque says.

Toyota's 998cc, three-cylinder engine edged out the Smart Diesel 799cc and the Mitsubishi 999cc turbo block in the Smart ForTwo to scoop the sub-1-litre category. Weighing about 67kg and fitted into the Aygo, Yaris, Peugeot 107, Citro?n C1 and Subaru Justy, the aluminium block integrates the intake system and engine cover into a compact layout. The block is said to whack out 67hp and 93Nm of torque, and sip about 4l/100km (62mpg) for a spew of 109g/km of carbon dioxide. Now that sounds just right for Macau and Hong Kong.