Ford just announced that it will launch a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine which will power the 2014 Fusion in the U.S., among other models. Contrary to a report earlier this week from the website Fordinsidenews, the engine will not be a 3-cylinder, but a more conventional inline-four unit.
Production of the new engine will begin later this month initially at Ford’s facility in Craiova, Romania, which also makes the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine and the B-Max small MPV. In the future, the 1.5-liter unit will be made in other Ford plants as well.
In a previous release, Ford had said in the China-market Mondeo, this engine will deliver a maximum output of 177hp (132 kW) at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 177 lb-ft (240Nm) from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. The Blue Oval said it expects the new gasoline engine to provide similar performance to its current 1.6-liter EcoBoost, “while delivering improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.” The 1.6-liter EcoBoost produces 178 horsepower and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque.
Ford added that the new powerplant has a new aluminum block and will include “some of the innovative features introduced on the award-winning 1.0-liter EcoBoost such as an integrated exhaust manifold.” The 1.5-liter EcoBoost is the first engine from Ford to incorporate a computer-controlled clutch on the belt-drive water pump, which Ford says improves efficiencies by reducing warm-up time.
Another advantage of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost is that it will strengthen Ford’s position on those markets that offer tax relief to consumers purchasing vehicles with engines of 1.5-liter capacity or less.
The new engine will be first introduced in China in the all-new Ford Mondeo, set to debut next week at the Shanghai Auto Show, and will also power the Fusion sedan in North America this year and later on, the European version of the Mondeo.
By Dan Mihalascu
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