FORD START CONCEPT PREVIEWS EXPANDING ECOBOOST RANGE WITH ALL-NEW, THREE-CYLINDER 1.0-LITRE ENGINE

- New three-cylinder Ford EcoBoost petrol engine supports the company’s future philosophy of more power for less fuel

- 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost I3 will deliver comparable power and torque to a larger I4 engine combined with exceptional fuel economy for a petrol engine

- Anticipated CO2 emissions to be less than 100g/km 

- Latest addition to the advanced Ford EcoBoost engine family will bring affordable and powerful technology to a mainstream vehicle lineup

BEIJING, China, April 23, 2010 – On the exterior and interior of the Ford Start Concept, designers have provided a glimpse into the possible future of urban transportation for growing markets.

At the car’s heart however, Ford powertrain engineers are previewing something very real and close to being reality.  It’s an all-new and compact addition to the advanced Ford EcoBoost petrol engine family, less than half the size of the initial 3.5-litre Ford EcoBoost V6 and with a capacity of one litre from just three cylinders.

Ford engineers have experimented with the idea of a three-cylinder engine for the past twenty years, but felt the power that could be achieved from such an engine configuration couldn’t be made substantial enough to offer a practical solution for smaller vehicles.

That’s all changed with the advanced yet affordable Ford EcoBoost technology, first introduced in 2009 and proving that substantial power and fuel savings can be realized through a combination of turbocharging and direct fuel injection.

This technology is being progressively introduced to widespread acclaim in mainstream Ford passenger cars and crossover vehicles – both in Europe and North America – in 3.5-litre V6 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder power units.  The latest I4 Ford EcoBoost petrol engine provides class-leading power and torque – up nearly ten percent – and a reduction of carbon emissions by more than 15 percent.

The new 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine is designed to use a cast iron block, cast aluminium cylinder head and cast aluminium sump. Its compression ratio will be 10:1.  Its compact architecture makes it ideal for packaging in smaller vehicles – as the Start Concept demonstrates.

Extensive development shows power and torque levels comparable to a normally aspirated, 1.6-litre I4 powerplant and carbon dioxide emissions are expected to be under the 100 g/km threshold.

Further technical and timing details of the new 1.0-litre engine and the vehicles it will power will be provided closer to its production launch.

SOURCE: Ford