· All-new engine offers the performance of a conventional 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine but with significant improvements in fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions
· This newest and smallest member of the global family of EcoBoost engines debuts many technologies never before seen in a Ford vehicle, such as an offset crankshaft and a super-small, highly responsive turbocharger
· Ford’s patented 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is smooth and refined, debunking misconceptions that three-cylinder engines are noisy and rough
The new Ford Fiesta will be the first Ford vehicle built in ASEAN to feature the company’s multi-award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost® engine, kicking off a region-wide introduction to Ford’s global EcoBoost powertrain technology.
The smallest engine in its class, Ford’s patented three-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be big on power, torque and refinement. Projected to produce 120 PS of power and peak torque of 170 Nm, the quiet and smooth-running engine will deliver power and performance that rivals a traditional 1.6-litre petrol engine. With 25 percent fewer moving parts, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost is able to deliver higher fuel economy and lower emissions.
Tiny enough to fit on a sheet of A4 paper or stow away in an airplane overhead luggage compartment, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost is the baby in Ford’s growing global family of EcoBoost engines which includes 1.6- and 2.0-litre four-cylinders, and two 3.5-litre V6 variants.
Ford’s EcoBoost technology, which holds more than 125 patents, combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing to enable a downsized engine to gain fuel economy by up to 20 percent over larger engines with no loss of performance.
Currently available in Ford models in Europe, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost will also make its way to North America, China, India and other countries.
“Customers are going to be delighted by how the junior member of the EcoBoost engine family punches above its weight,” said Graham Pearson, vehicle line director for small cars, Ford Asia Pacific.
“Most customers won’t even realise there’s a missing cylinder when they start and drive the car. What they’ll notice is how quiet the engine is, how quickly the car accelerates, and how little fuel it needs.”
The little engine that can
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost is unlike any engine in Ford’s history spanning more than a century. Not only is it the company’s first three-cylinder engine but it also has the highest power density of any Ford production engine.
Typical three-cylinder engines are inherently off-balance and out of sync, causing unpleasant vibrations. More than 200 engineers based at Ford’s technical centres in Dunton, U.K., and Merkenich, Germany worked their magic to transform the unloved three-cylinders into the smooth and refined 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost.
The traditional solution to reducing shaking forces in small-displacement engines is to install a counter-rotating balance shaft inside the motor that cancels out most vibrations. But that adds to weight, costs, and reduces fuel economy.
The engineers came up with a smart alternative. They deliberately unbalanced the pulley and flywheel with weights placed precisely to counteract the natural shaking forces of the engine and drive the energy in a less sensitive direction. The engine mounts are also designed to decouple as well as absorb the engine’s shaking forces.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost also debuts many new technologies never before seen in a Ford vehicle:
· The super-small and extremely responsive turbocharger delivers power quickly when the throttle is open from low rpm. The turbocharger’s ability to reach nearly 250,000 rpm results in virtually no turbo lag and the engine’s peak torque of 170 Nm over 1,400-4,500 rpm is more than enough for drivers to pull away and overtake easily
· The exhaust manifold is cast into the cylinder head so the exhaust gases can be water-cooled to enable optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band
· The unique cast iron block warms the engine quicker than a conventional aluminium block, cutting the amount of “warm-up” energy required by 50 percent and increasing fuel economy
· The “split-cooling” system that has separate thermostats for the cylinder head and block to allow quick warm-up
· Two main engine drive belts are immersed in oil to deliver a quieter, more efficient engine while the variable oil pump ensures optimal oil pressure across the full speed range
Lauded around the world
Since being launched in Europe last spring, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has been pulling in many prestigious global awards. It was voted 2012 International Engine of The Year by a jury of 76 journalists from 36 countries, winning by the largest voting margin in the award’s history.
It went on to bag a Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanics magazine in the U.S., the prominent Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club in Great Britain, and the esteemed International Paul Pietsch Award 2013 for technological innovation in Germany.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost has also proven that small does not mean slow. Last June, it set 16 land speed records at a racetrack in France. The unmodified Ford Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost achieved 0-100 km/h acceleration in 11.3 seconds and a top speed of 193 km/h.
In September, a unique Formula One Ford race car powered by the tiny but feisty 1.0-litre EcoBoost produced a supercar-beating performance at the legendary Nürburgring track in Germany. It recorded the 11th fastest lap ever at 7 minutes, 22 seconds – higher on the list than 600+ horsepower supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari Enzo and the Pagani Zonda.
“The 1.0-litre EcoBoost proves that size doesn’t matter,” said Pearson. “It doesn’t force the customer to choose between performance versus economy or responsiveness versus smoothness. It’s a no-compromise engine that delivers it all.”
