Sub 150PS

To paraphrase the epigram coined by French journalist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And in a year that saw the first major shake-up to these awards since the competition’s inception in 1999, Ford’s 999cc three-cylinder turbo engine has claimed its 11th trophy in eight years.

A true mainstay of what are now known as the International Engine + Powertrain of the Year Awards, the supreme 1.0 EcoBoost is the first engine to win the Sub 150PS gong, a truly remarkable feat given the strength of the other 73 contenders. Indeed, the decision to switch to categories defined by power output resulted in some tantalising new battles across the board.

Here, Ford’s three-pot found itself up against new rivals such as PSA’s celebrated 1.2-litre unit (itself a four-time winner in the former 1-litre to 1.4-litre category class), BMW’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder heart and Toyota/Lexus’ 1.8-litre electric-gasoline hybrid powertrain. And not only did baby EcoBoost fend off these larger adversaries, it slew its 2018 Sub 1-litre category class conqueror, VW’s 999cc three-cylinder turbo.

How did Ford do it? By pushing the boundaries of powertrain engineering and delivering an updated design featuring a host of impressive new technologies, including a world-first for a three-cylinder engine in the form of cylinder deactivation.

Developed by Ford engineers in the UK, USA and Germany, in collaboration with Schaeffler Group, the cylinder deactivation system improves fuel efficiency by up to 6% and reduces CO2 emissions by cutting friction and pumping demand inside the engine. Able to operate at up to 4,500rpm – when the valves open and close nearly 40 times per second – the technology is able to disengage or re-engage one cylinder in just 14 milliseconds – 20 times faster than the blink of an eye.

Offering innovation like that, it’s no wonder Ford has returned to the fore