Ford has long talked about global cars and now it has launched a new world engine. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost is a turbocharged three-cylinder unit and will be used in Ford models around the world.
Developed in the UK at Ford's Dunton facility, the new 1.0-litre engine is claimed to offer the power and performance of a four-cylinder unit, but with greater economy and lower emissions. Reduced internal friction and quicker warm-up are key features of the new engine, which Ford says will inform all of its future engine designs.
This is the first time in its history that Ford has produced a three-cylinder engine. Ford says it will announce full details at the Frankfurt motor show in September, including power and emissions.
In the meantime, Ford has confirmed the engine uses an offset crankshaft, split cooling for the engine's block to aid fast warm-up, an exhaust manifold cast into the block, and twin variable camshaft timing.
Ford has also confirmed it will begin production of hybrid vehicles in the first quarter of 2012 at its Van Dyke plant in Detroit, USA. An electronic continuously variable transmission, called e-CVT, will offer improved performance over Ford's present hybrid unit and have a longer range and higher top speed when running solely on electric power.