Ford Announces 1.6 Litre EcoBoost Engine, 2 & 3 Cylinder Engines On Their Way

FORD HAS DEBUTED its new EcoBoost range of direct-injected turbocharged engines at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, hailing them "a key element of Ford Motor Company's global blueprint for sustainability".

Two engines were launched, one being the 2.0 litre EcoBoost inline four that will see service in the 2011 Ford Falcon and the other a new 1.6 litre four cylinder that will power vehicles like the Focus.

Both will be used in various Ford models around the globe, increasing parts commonality and lowering production costs for the American automaker.

Ford claims the direct-injection, twin variable valve timing and turbocharging technology used by its EcoBoost-branded engines cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 20 percent compared to similarly-powered conventional petrol motors.

Torque output increases thanks to the EcoBoost tech, and Ford says the 2.0 litre EcoBoost will deliver peak torque from as low 1500rpm. The 2.0 will generate in excess of 147kW, while the 1.6 will put out between 110kW and 132kW.

The new engines also bring more benefits in terms of packaging and weight reduction, despite delivering power equivalent to much larger motors.

“We believe that these engines will provide customers with a genuinely attractive alternative to diesel or hybrid power units, delivering highly competitive fuel economy and cost-of-ownership, along with the responsive performance and wide rev range which have made petrol engines the favoured choice for so many drivers,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe's Chairman & CEO.

Ford's EcoBoost plans won't end with the 1.6 and 2.0 engines either: according to recent reports, two and three-cylinder engines with less than 1 litre of capacity (and outputs of around 95kW) are headed for the production line.

“I think you'll see all of those things roll out, it's more than experimental,” Barb Samardzich, Ford's vice president of powertrain engineering said in a recent interview with Automotive News.

European production of the 2.0 litre EcoBoost engine is slated to begin in Valencia, Spain, and the 1.6 EcoBoost will be built at Ford's Bridgend engine plant in the UK. The first production vehicles will arrive in European showrooms next year.

The smaller engines won't launch in the near-term, but are expected to be built in Cologne, Germany and Craiova, Romania.