As engine displacements get smaller to save fuel, Ford?s latest little entry wins a big prize as it today was named 2012 ?International Engine of the Year? by a panel of 76 journalists international journalists from 35 countries.

Available in two outputs, the new Focus 98-horsepower 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine delivers best-in-class fuel efficiency of 58.9 mpg and CO₂?emissions of 109 g/km. The 123-horsepower model returns 56.5 mpg with CO₂ emissions of 114 g/km.

The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine uses a low-inertia turbocharger to deliver power quickly when the throttle is opened from low rpm. The turbocharger?s impeller delivers high power at speeds of up to 248,000 rpm.

The engine ? small enough to fit on a sheet of 8.5 x 11-inch paper? was designed at Ford?s technical centers in Dunton, U.K., and Merkenich, Germany. The engine is built in Ford?s plants in Craiova, Romania, and Cologne, Germany.

This marks the first time Ford has won International Engine of the Year in the 13-year history of the awards, plus it also received the highest score in the history of the awards.

In addition, the little engine also hauled in two other awards ? ?Best New Engine? and ?Best Engine Under 1.0-Liter.? ?The awards were presented by Engine Technology International magazine.

?We set the bar incredibly high when we set out to design this engine,? said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president, Global Powertrain. ?We wanted to deliver eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance, quietness and refinement ? and all from a very small three-cylinder engine.

?The team responded to this seemingly impossible challenge with some really exciting innovation,? Bakaj added. ?The result is a game changer for gas engines globally.?

Other1.0-liter EcoBoost innovations include:

• An exhaust manifold, cast into the cylinder head, lowers the temperature of exhaust gases to enable the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band
• A unique cast iron block warms the engine more quickly than a conventional aluminum block to cut the amount of ?warm-up? energy required by 50 percent, and cut fuel consumption
• Two main engine drive belts are immersed in oil to deliver a quieter, more efficient? engine
• Offsetting the engine configuration by deliberately ?unbalancing? the flywheel and pulley instead of adding energy-draining balancer shafts

The 1.0-liter EcoBoost debuted in the Focus in Europe earlier this year and will go into the European C-MAX and B-MAX later this year. The 1.0-liter EcoBoost will be made available in Ford models in the U.S., Asia Pacific and Africa in 2013.