Fiat’s 0.9-liter twin-cylinder gasoline engine, which is also known as TwinAir, has been awarded the coveted 2011 International Engine of the Year. A jury comprised of 76 journalists and industry experts from 36 different countries were convinced by the 875 cc unit's low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive output for its size. It also won three other awards, namely the “Best New Engine 2011”, “Best Green Engine 2011” and “Best Sub 1-Liter Engine”.

Currently available in a turbocharged configuration developing 85 hp, the TwinAir is offered on the Fiat 500 and 500C, and will soon find its way under the hood of the new Lancia Ypsilon supermini. Fiat is also planning the introduction of a naturally aspirated version producing 65 hp as well as a high performance turbocharged variant with 105 hp. The TwinAir will also be offered in a more eco-friendly 80HP Turbo bi-fuel version.

“Fiat has now produced one of the all-time great engines,” said Dean Slavnich, editor of Engine Technology International and co-chairman of the International Engine of the Year Awards. “Who would have thought that a two-cylinder unit could have won the International Engine of the Year title when we launched the Awards in 1999? Its triumph is a clear signal that less is more: people want low-emission, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and just two cylinders certainly seems to provide a comprehensive solution!”

The second place in the overall competition went to VW Group's 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger engine, which triumphed in the “1 liter to 1.4 liter” category. Motoring enthusiasts would recall that this engine won the 2009/10 ‘International Engine of the Year’ award. Unfortunately, it got dethroned by the more worthy TwinAir this year. As a consolation to the VW group, Audi won the “2 liter to 2.5 liter” category with its impressive 2.5 liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine from the TT RS and RS3.

BMW is also another major winner in this year’s event, taking home four accolades. These include the “3 liter to 4 liter” category with its 4.0 liter V8 unit mounted on the M3; the “2.5 liter to 3 liter” category for its 3.0 liter DI Twin Turbo; the “1.8-liter to 2-liter” category for its 2.0 liter Twin Turbo diesel engine found in the 123d and X1, and finally the “1.4 liter to 1.8 liter” category for its 1.6 liter four cylinder turbo engine co-developed with PSA Peugeot Citroen. This unit is powering quite a number of models in Singapore, such as the Citroen C5, Peugeot RCZ and 508.



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