Through the use of new software for the engine control unit (commonly known as ECU), UK’s Superchips has been able to improve the performance of Ford’s new 1.0-liter three-cylinder, direct injection turbocharged Ecoboost engine found on several European market models such as the Focus and the B-MAX.
In stock trim, the three-cylinder gasoline unit is officially rated at 123hp (125PS) and 169Nm (125 lb-ft) or 200Nm (149 lb-ft) with the overboost function. On the dyno, Superchips found that the engine is slightly more powerful delivering 127hp.
After the company’s engineers updated the ECU, the 1.0-liter engine was dyno-tested at 145hp (147PS) at 6,169 rpm and 227Nm (167 lb-ft) at 2,656 rpm.
The British tuning firm claims that the remap doesn’t detract from the standard Focus 125PS Ecoboost’s 56 mpg UK (46.6 mpg US or 5.0lt/100km) average fuel consumption, just as long as the car is driven in a “like for like” manner.
Superchip’s ECU upgrade is priced at £455 (about US$713 or €580) including VAT and can be fitted on all arch 2012 onwards variants of the 125 PS (123 bhp) Ford Focus 1.0-litre Ecoboost models.
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