The awards, which are organized by Engine Technology International, are judged by a panel of 65 automotive journalists from 32 countries and have been awarded annually since 1999.  The engines, which this year included gasoline, diesel, and hybrid-electric, are ranked on driveability, performance, economy, and refinement.

The BMW 2-liter twin-turbo diesel won the in the 1.8-liter to 2-liter category and is found in the BMW X1 xDrive23d, the BMW 123d, and the Mini Cooper S.

The entire engine block is made of aluminum, which resulted in a weight reduction of 20 kg from earlier models.  It uses third-generation Bosch common rail injection and produces 204 hp along with fuel consumption of 5.5 l/100 km (42.7 mpg).

This is the second time this particular engine has been recognized by the International Engine of the Year judges; it won the Best New Engine category in 2008.

The judges’ comments were telling.  Dave VanderWerp from Car said that the engine is “the most responsive, linear and eager-to-rev diesel that I’ve ever driven. Plus it returns impressive fuel economy.”

Matt Davis, a freelance journalist with outlets such as AutoExpress in the United Kingdom, was also impressed.  “Stunning how much this small-capacity diesel feels like the best V6 gas engine ever built,” he commented.

Previous diesel winners include the Mercedes-Benz Diesel 2.1-litre (2009, in the 2-liter to 2.5 liter category), the BMW 3-liter twin-turbo diesel (2006, in the 2.5-liter to 3-liter category), and the Fiat-GM 1.3-liter diesel (0205, in the 1-liter to 1.4 liter category).

Other 2010 award winners include the Fiat 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo (Best New Engine of the Year), the Toyota 1.8-liter Hybrid (Best Green Engine of the Year), the Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger (in the 1-liter to 1.4-liter category), the Audi 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo (in the 2-liter to 2.5-liter category), the BMW 3-liter DI twin turbo (in the 2.5-liter to 3-liter category), the BMW 4-liter V-8 (in the 3-liter to 4-liter category), and the Mercedes-AMG 6.2-liter (in the above 4-liter category).

Inside the cabin, given an absence of engine noise, the only clue that we are driving a diesel is the tachometer’s 5000 rpm redline.  But put the six-speed manual transmission into gear, step on the accelerator and there’s no question you are driving a BMW.

Besides its diesel engine, the 123d has yet another fuel saving feature: Auto Start-Stop, a feature that shuts the engine off when you stop at a red light (or elsewhere).  When you push in the clutch, the engine springs back to life and you drive away.  The technology is very popular in Europe and we are already seeing it in the States in several hybrid models.

Our test car was the three-door Sports Hatch model but it’s also available with five doors as well as a coupe or cabrio.  It came equipped with BMW’s M suspension and the handling was pure BMW.   I’ve driven several petrol and diesel 1er Series BMWs in the past year and I’ve found them to be some of the best representations of Freude am Fahren available today.

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