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Ford engines getting smaller and more
powerful
Ford engineers are creating a new
generation of global engines that use
advanced technology not more cylinders –
to enhance performance. Ford’s new
engines are the most fuel efficient and
powerful in the company’s 107-year
history.
Ford is leading the way in the
transformation of the automobile engine
around the world.
For most of Ford’s 107 years, engineers
have answered the call for higher
horsepower and more torque with larger,
heavier and thirstier engines. But the
company’s 2006 commitment to lead or be
among the leaders in fuel economy in
every sales segment has changed the way
Ford designs its engines.
The advanced technologies adopted and
enhanced by Ford’s engine development
team – EcoBoost™, twin independent
variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and
direct injection, for example – have
made the old saying “There’s no
replacement for displacement” as
obsolete as the carburetor.
For consumers, horsepower per liter is
as important as the speed of an Internet
connection – the higher the number, the
better the performance.
Two of America’s favorite vehicles, the
Ford Mustang and Ford F-Series, now
provide the most dramatic examples of
how that is not the case, and how new,
smaller-displacement engines are
delivering levels of performance that in
the past could only be obtained with
much larger engines.
The optional 6.8-litre V10 engine in the
2011 F-Series Super Duty is rated at 362
horsepower and 457 lb.-ft. of torque.
F-150’s EcoBoost 3.5-litre engine – with
about half the displacement – delivers
365 horsepower and a comparable 420
lb.-ft. of torque. The horsepower per
liter of the V10 is 53.23 compared with
more than 104 for the 3.5-litre
The 2011 Mustang coupe has a 3.7-litre
V6 engine rated at 305 horsepower and
delivers as much as 31 mpg highway,
according to the 2011 EPA Fuel Economy
Guide. The 3.7-litre replaced a
210-horsepower 4.0-litre V6 that was
EPA-rated at 26 mpg highway. The 2011
Mustang Coupe is the first car in
history to have a 300-plus-horsepower
engine rated at 12.75 Kms /Ltr or more.
It also delivers 0-to-60 times of around
six seconds
These new engines are part of nine
all-new or significantly revamped
engines Ford began launching in 2010.
And they are helping make the 2011 Ford
and Lincoln lineup the most fuel
efficient in the company’s 107-year
history.
Ford and Lincoln showrooms today are
filled with an industry-best dozen
vehicles that lead or are among the
leaders in their sales segments for fuel
economy. Four vehicles carry an
EPA-certified rating of 17 Kms/Ltr or
higher, also best in the industry.
“From Fiesta to Super Duty, Ford has
invested a record amount in new engines,
transmissions and cutting-edge
technologies to meet our commitment to
lead or be among the leaders in fuel
economy in every segment in which we
compete,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice
president of powertrain engineering.
“Though we have made great strides, our
work in improving fuel economy is not
done and never will be. We have to
deliver a fuel economy gain of about 10
percent every three years from now on.
Expect further improvements to our
EcoBoost system, three-cylinder engines
and our Auto Start-Stop system launched
now in Europe and soon to be installed
in North American vehicles,” he added.
The next smaller but more powerful
engines coming from Ford are two new
four-cylinder EcoBoost engines already
proving popular in Europe. First up is
the new 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder
slated for later this year in Edge and
the all-new Explorer. Then comes a
frugal 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine for the
C-MAX multi-activity vehicle.
In the 2010 Explorer, the smallest
engine available was a 4.0-litre V6
rated at 210 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft.
of torque. In the all-new Explorer, the
2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine will be
the smallest engine, yet it delivers 237
horsepower – 27 more than the old engine
– and about the same torque, 245 lb.-ft.
The 2.0-liter Explorer is projected to
deliver best-in-class fuel economy.
“The 2012 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost is
going to mark a new era in
smaller-displacement SUVs, offering more
power than the previous 4.0-liter V6
with a really remarkable improvement in
fuel economy,” said Greg Johnson,
manager of North American power packs.
“Similarly, Edge with EcoBoost and C-MAX
with the EcoBoost 1.6 will both serve to
redefine customers’ opinions about
smaller-displacement engines.”
Although the Ford EcoBoost 2.0-litre is
the smallest engine ever offered in
Explorer – and the first four-cylinder –
drivers likely will not notice the two
fewer cylinders. “It’s got the
efficiency of a small gasoline I-4 when
cruising,” explains Johnson, “because
that’s fundamentally what it is. But
when you need that extra muscle for
passing or accelerating, the
turbocharger provides a diesel-like
reserve of torque without the drawbacks
– like higher weight, slower engine
speeds and, at least in the States,
higher fuel cost – of a diesel engine.”
For most consumers, all it takes is a
test drive to convince them smaller
engines can deliver the goods.
“Most everyone who has driven the
EcoBoost F-150 has been converted,”
explains Jim Mazuchowski, Ford V6 engine
manager. “Once our customers move past
the idea of ‘only’ having six cylinders,
and begin to think of our EcoBoost V6 as
a gas-powered engine with diesel-type
capability and characteristics, the
excitement begins to build. Twin
turbochargers and direct injection give
the EcoBoost F-150 the broad, flat
torque curve that makes towing with a
diesel so effortless – and hard
acceleration so much fun.”
Ford vehicles are marketed in the
Sultanate by Arabian Car Marketing, a
part of the renowned Saud Bahwan Group,
with 6 years unlimited mileage
protection, service and parts network
that stretches across the Sultanate,
over 98% parts availability - and Ford
Privilege Card – which provides 24 hours
On-road assistance from AAA.
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