Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.

To say BMW AG's new 3.0L inline-6-cyl. turbodiesel checks all the boxes for greatness would be putting it lightly.

Introduced in the '09 335d sedan, as well as the X5 xDrive 35d cross/utility vehicle, no other engine this year captivated our seasoned panel of Ward's 10 Best Engines judges the way BMW's clean-burning diesel did.

From its ability to lay down a gutsy 425 lb.-ft. (576 Nm) of torque at 1,750 rpm — the bulk of which is available from just 1,500 revs — to the gratification induced by 30-mpg (7.8-L/100-km) figures accompanying such thrust, this is one wonderful Teutonic torquemeister.

But its most-pleasing attributes come from its lightweight, all-aluminum construction and advanced compound-turbocharger arrangement, both of which hardly take away from the already stellar driving dynamics of the 3-Series platform.

Saddled with only a minimal weight penalty vs. the gasoline-fueled, twin-turbocharged I-6, the 335d can bob and weave with the best.

And with its pair of turbos huffing and puffing in sequence, lag-free surges of acceleration are summoned with the greatest of ease.

In the diesel world, the BMW's 88 hp/L was almost unthinkable just several years ago.

Engine type: 3.0L twin-turbocharged DOHC I-6 diesel

Displacement (cc): 2,993

Block/head material: aluminum/aluminum

Bore × stroke (mm): 90 × 84

Horsepower (SAE net): 265 @ 4,200 rpm

Torque: 425 lb.-ft. (576 Nm) @ 1,750-2,250 rpm

Specific output: 88 hp/L

Compression ratio: 16.5:1

Assembly Site: Steyr, Austria

Application tested: 335d sedan

EPA city/highway (mpg): 23/36