Ford Introduces its Smallest EcoBoost Engine at Frankfurt Motor Show

Ford has introduced its smallest-ever EcoBoost engine at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

With only 3 cylinders and 1.0 liter of displacement, the new EcoBoost engine will provide fuel-efficient power for three models in the European product range – first the Focus, followed by C-MAX and the all-new Ford B-MAX.

The new 1.0-liter engine is the latest addition to Ford’s global family of EcoBoost engines, which currently range in capacity from 1.6 to 3.5 liters globally. Downsized EcoBoost engines feature turbocharging, direct injection and other technologies and replace larger engines with no loss of performance and with lower consumption.

Ford will introduce two versions of the 1.0-liter engine in the Focus in Europe in early 2012 with 100hp and 120ho and 5-speed and 6-speed manual transmissions respectively. Ultimately, this all-new engine will be made available in Ford models in North America, China and in other regions.

With its 1.0-liter capacity, the 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be the smallest engine currently produced by Ford. Yet, despite its small capacity and proportions, the forward-thinking design delivers power and performance to rival a traditional 1.6-litre petrol engine while emitting less than 120g/km CO2 in the Focus.

Developed at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the UK, this direct-injected EcoBoost engine features a new compact, high performance turbocharger design. The extremely fast response of the turbocharger and its ability to reach nearly 250,000rpm results in virtually no turbo lag and peak torque of 170Nm from 1,300-4,500rpm in the 120PS variant.

The all-new EcoBoost engine also features an exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head, which lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases and in turn enables the engine to run with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band.

An advanced “split cooling” system reduces fuel consumption by warming the engine more quickly and – unlike the larger EcoBoost engines – cast iron has been selected for the block, reducing the amount of energy needed for warm-up by up to 50 percent compared with aluminum.

Intelligent ancillaries such as a variable air-conditioning compressor and oil pump also reduce demand on the engine – improving economy and emissions – while special coatings for engine components and intricate development of engine geometry result in minimal frictional losses.

Ford Auto-Start-Stop, Active Grille Shutter and Ford Smart Regenerative Charging will also be available as part of the Focus and C-MAX 1.0-liter EcoBoost package.

Like its larger capacity siblings, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will use Ti-VCT twin variable camshaft timing to further improve performance and economy. Ford has also employed an all-new camshaft actuator to speed up response times without sacrificing durability.

The 1.0-liter EcoBoost begins production in April at Ford's engine plant in Cologne, Germany.

Look for reviews and live photos with PureGreenCars’ Frankfurt Motor Show coverage and become our fan on Facebook.