Volkswagen on a roll with second World Engine of the Year award

Volkswagen won the world Engine of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Its 1.4-litre TSI uses both a supercharger and turbo to deliver maximum power with small-motor thirst.

The 71 judges from 35 countries included Kiwi Brian Cowan, a long-time contributor to Engine Technology International.

Cowan says: "The three most significant winners at the 2010 International Engine of the Year awards embody distinctly different design philosophies, but together they provide a snapshot of the state of current internal combustion engine technology - and prove that far from being nearly dead, it is probably only just beginning its Golden Age."

He particularly cites VW's twincharger, with "the economy of a conventional 1.2-litre, the packaging of a 1.6 and the performance of a 2.4"; the Mercedes V8, which "turns its back on commonly accepted techniques for performance. There's no forced induction or fancy valve timing. Instead, generous capacity and a Formula One-level of construction accuracy has produced an addictive level of thunderous, high-revving power."

And, of course, the Fiat engine that was best newcomer and which, he says, "has set new benchmarks for fuel economy and emissions reduction."

That engine arrives in NZ this month.