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With this engine, Volkswagen has proved that downsizing doesn’t mean downgrading. Its innovative design has earned it five International Engine of the Year Awards to date, and this is the fourth year running it has triumphed in this category.

A frugal 1.4-litre engine, it can deliver up to 178bhp in certain applications due to the combination of petrol direct injection, a turbocharger, and a supercharger. Low-end torque is ensured at low speeds by the mechanically driven supercharger. The turbocharger takes over at higher speeds once the intake air is pressurised, filling the ‘hole’ in the torque at low revs, and blessing the diminutive engine with the sort of power usually associated with a 2-litre naturally-aspirated unit.

The ambitious power output targets could not be achieved with a single-stage supercharged or turbocharged 1,400cc engine alone, but with this combination, the upstream compressor increases the boost pressure of the exhaust turbocharger to impressive levels. The turbo and the supercharger have a pressure rating of 1.53bar, and the maximum system boost pressure is set at 2.5bar at 1,500rpm.

Power is only half the story, as the innovative TSI engine offers fuel economy benefits over its larger, similarly powered rivals, returning fuel consumption figures in the new-generation Volkswagen Golf of around 6.2 litres/100km (45.5mpg), compared with 10.6 litres/100km (26.6mpg) for Volkswagen’s 2-litre FSI, which is of comparable performance and power output.

As Arturo de Andrés, of Automóvil in Spain said, “This is downsizing at its best. This 1.4-litre twincharger gives very good low-end torque, more than enough power, and good fuel economy.”

The thoughts of Andrés were echoed by Awards co-chairman, Graham Johnson: “This is a technological achievement from Volkswagen that also happens to be rather fun!”