Ford adds three EcoBoost engines and highlights two more fuel efficient powerplants

A new age

There is a new age of automotive engines dawning as we see it here at LotPro.com. And although the greenies would have you believe that hybrids and electric vehicles are just around the corner, the attendant costs of these new technologies, as well as their current range limitations means that, at least for the time being, most of us will still be driving vehicles with internal combustion engines in the foreseeable future. But even these ICE powerplants are undergoing amazing changes, as evidenced by recent developments at Ford Motor Company.

Earlier this week, Ford announced that it would be adding three more EcoBoost engines to its vehicle lineup, in anticipation of delivering 1.5 million of these engines, in various configurations and displacements, by 2013 – an increase of 200,000 more than the company’s earlier estimates.

Here are some of the highlights of what is known of Ford’s new fuel-efficient engine technology:

1.6-Liter Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) Sigma inline-four

The 1.6-liter Ti-VCT four will first appear in North America in the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Producing 114 hp, the biggest strength of this engine is the fact that most of its 114 lb.-ft. of torque is available across a fairly broad rpm range – from 2,000 rpm to its peak at 4,000 rpm. The engine is also capable of continuously varying the timing of both the intake and exhaust camshafts for optimal airflow. The engine will be mated to a six-speed “PowerShift” dual-clutch transmission when it appears in the 2011 Fiesta. Ford engineers expect the combination of both these technologies will give the Fiesta an EPA highway rating of 40 mpg.

1.6-Liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost inline-four

The EcoBoost version of Ford’s 1.6-liter four that first appeared in the Lincoln C concept vehicle in 2009 will be offered in the European Ford C-Max “people mover.” Capable of producing up to 180 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque (depending upon the vehicle application), it features a central-injector direct injection system that provides an improved fuel-air mixture compared to traditional side-injector systems.

2.0-Liter direct-injection Ti-VCT Duratec inline-four

The non-EcoBoost 2.0-liter Duratec four, producing 155 hp, will first see service in the Transit Connect commercial van with its first passenger car application coming in the 2012 Ford Focus. The Focus will also be the recipient of the six-speed PowerShift dual-clutch auto slush box.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="410"]SelectShift dual clutch 6-speed Automatic SelectShift dual clutch 6-speed Automatic[/caption]

2.0-Liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost inline-four

This all-new engine will slot between the aforementioned 2.0-liter Duratec, and the hot-shoe 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder turbo found in the European Focus RS (301 hp) and the even hotter Focus RS500 (where it produces 345 hp).

The 2.0-liter will see its first application in the next-generation Ford Explorer and Ford Edge.
3.5-Liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost V-6

This twin-turbocharged direct-injection V-6 generates 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft of torque in its current application in the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. According to Ford, engineers have “upgraded” it for rear-wheel-drive applications and it will now see duty in the F-150 where it “is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy along with the power and towing capability of a V-8.”