Ford expands its EcoBoost range with 4-potters

Credits to:  http://paultan.org/2010/04/15/ford-expands-its-ecoboost-range-with-4-potters

Ford has announced a few more engines that will join its EcoBoost range of ‘downsized’ turbocharged engines with direct injection. One is a 1.6 liter inline-4 EcoBoot which will be slotted into the European Ford C-MAX MPV. This is a particularly interesting engine – just imagine what fun it’d be if it gets slotted into the small Ford Fiesta?

The engine has two tunes – one 150 horsepower and the other more powerful version featuring 180 horses and 244Nm of torque. The 1.6 liter EcoBoost even in its 150 horses form can also probably easily serve as a replacement for the normally aspirated 2.0 liter in the Focus. But this probably won’t happen in all countries as with the debut of the new Focus at Detroit 2010 early this year, Ford also introduced a new direct injection normally aspirated 2.0 liter Ti-VCT engine making 155 horses and 195Nm of torque that will be slotted into the new Focus.

Next is a 2.0 liter inline-4 EcoBoost that will be slotted into larger Fords such as the Ford Explorer, the Ford Edge and the Ford Mondeo. With 200 horsepower at 5,500rpm and 300Nm of torque from as low at 1,750rpm this would be an awesome replacement for the 2.3 liter Duratec in the current Mondeo. Lastly there is a revised version of the original 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost optimized for the Ford F-150 pick-up truck.

Ford also unveiled that it is working on a version 2.0 of the EcoBoost range that adds Exhaust Gas Recirculation to its existing list of technology including direct injection and turbocharging. This variation of EGR typically used in diesel engines will take abit of exhaust gas, cool it in a heat exchanger, and pump it back into the cylinders. This apparently has the effect of reducing combustion temperature, which ultimately benefits the car’s power and fuel economy – by a figure of approximately 5% according to Ford. EGR is also primarily used to reduce the amount of NOx produced during combustion.

Ford is also apparently working on small three cylinder and even a two cylinder EcoBoost unit, although they are still a few years away from production. They could feature in the next generation versions of small Fords like the Ka and the Fiesta.