Leading car manufacturer Ford has announced the launch of a new, ultra-efficient 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that is to be sold across the Ford Focus range.
The new turbocharged, direct injection engine will go on sale in February and Ford claim that the engine will deliver the same performance as a traditional 1.6-litre engine, but with significantly improved fuel efficiency and ultra-low CO2 emissions.
The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is available with two power levels. The five-door Focus has 123bhp and delivers a combined fuel economy of 56.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 114g/km. The 99bhp model delivers a combined fuel economy of 58.9mpg and petrol CO2 emissions of 109g/km, which means that this car results in zero road tax (VED) in the first year of ownership.
The 99bhp and 123bhp versions both qualify for zero vehicle excise duty in the first year, followed by £20 and £30 per annum thereafter. When compared against existing 1.6- litre engines, this represents savings of £115 in year one and £95 and £85 respectively in the following two years.
“Gone are the days when the number of cylinders dictates performance,” says Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain managing director.
“This highly efficient, technically advanced powertrain is not only great fun to drive, but it delivers fuel economy improvements and ultra-low CO2 emissions which lead to real world cost savings for our customers,” added Ovenden.
Though the 1.0-litre EcoBoost cylinder block can fit onto a sheet of A4 paper, it delivers up to 123bhp and 125 lb-ft peak torque (147 lb-ft with overboost) between 1,400 and 4,500rpm. The new engine was developed in the UK at Ford’s Dunton and Dagenham plants.
"This 1.0-litre EcoBoost signals a new era of downsized, super frugal engines for the sub-130PS [128bhp] segment,” said Graham Hoare, European executive powertrain director based at Dunton.
“During development our UK engineers focused on improving thermal efficiency and reducing friction of the engine's internal moving parts, especially during warm-up,” added Hoare.
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