Are these the 10 best engines on the road?

The time of turbocharging is well and truly upon us.

At a time when influential manufacturers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche and Mercedes do not sell cars without turbo power, it comes as no surprise to find that boosted motors have stolen the silverware in the annual Wards 10 Best Engines list for 2017.

Influential US publication WardsAuto has made headlines for more than two decades by naming the best engines across a variety of classes, assessing new engines based on the power and torque outputs, driveability and refinement.

And for the first time in 23 years, it has not included any V8 engines on the list.

Instead, seven out of 10 engines are fitted with turbochargers - or in Volvo's case, a turbo and supercharger - and the three naturally aspirated engines do their job with the help of hybrid electric motors.

WardsAuto spokesman Drew Winter says the 2017 list is a sign of the times, as "automakers see downsizing, turbocharging and electrification as key strategies for delivering no-compromise powertrains".

His team evaluated 40 vehicles in October and November. Unlike the International Engine of the Year awards, which hands out prizes to a range of cars including top-shelf models such as the Ferrari 488 GTB and Porsche 911 Carrera S, WardsAuto sets a $US62,000 cap on its system, making cars such as the BMW M2 ($US51,700 in the states, and $89,900 in Australia) eligible for the prize, but not BMW's more expensive M3 (a car that costs $US64,000 there, and $139,900).

The M2 was edged out by its torquier little brother, BMW's "incredibly smooth" M240i, for victory in its class.

Ford's Focus RS took a prize thanks to its 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, and Mazda was also recognised for its work with the new 2.5-litre turbo motor in the CX-9 - cars that both won their respective classes in the 2016 Drive Car of the Year awards.

Volvo's turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder V60 Polestar motor was also recognised as a winner, as was the 2.0-litre unit in the Mercedes-Benz C300.

Infiniti will be pleased to see that the twin-turbocharged V6 engine in its 298kW, 475Nm Q50 also won a prize. Hyundai's new 1.4-litre turbo and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic combination also took victory, but that driveline will not be part of the new i30 lineup when the updated car arrives next year.

Hybrid winners included the Chevrolet Volt, Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Accord.

The winners:

• 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo (BMW M240i)
• 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid (Chevrolet Volt)
• 3.6-litre V6 hybrid (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
• 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder (Ford Focus RS)
• 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid (Honda Accord Hybrid)
• 1.4 - litre four-cylinder turbo (Hyundai Elantra Eco)
• 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo (Infiniti Q50)
• 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo (Mazda CX-9)
• 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo (Mercedes-Benz C300)
• 2.0-litre four-cylinder with supercharger and turbo (Volvo V60 Polestar)