Thursday 10th November 2011

Ford reveals 125hp engine - of just 1000cc

Who says green motoring can't be interesting? Not Ford...

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Ordinarily, we would not consider the launch of a new 125hp engine worth our time on PH. Nor would we consider that a 1.0-litre motor is worth troubling you about.

But when those two figures collide in the same engine, well then it's probably worth mentioning. So this, ladies and gents, is the new Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost, a three-cylinder turbocharged engine that's coming soon to a Focus near you in early 2012.

Designed and developed in the UK at Dunton and Dagenham (and with a £110 million Cologne production line designed by the UK Manufacturing Engineering team), the new engine is designed to give the performance of a 1.6-litre petrol engine, but with significantly reduced emissions and fuel consumption (114g/km and 56.5mpg in the Focus).

Which is all very impressive. There's also a 100ps version that'll find its way into the C-Max and B-Max MPVs.

What most intrigues (and pleases) us most, though is the implication that a big manufacturer like Ford is still interested in at least moderately powerful conventional petrol engines which keep more than half an eye on economy.

[lgomgf]

Now that is something... when I was back in Brazil for last x-mas my father had just purchased a ford Ka, engine 1.0 liter 4 cylinder... power... well, only 69cv...

[anonymous-user]

Thats pretty decent.
Wonder if anyone will put it in a Mini?

Still waiting for Ford to make the Fiesta RS though.

[kambites]

It's fascinating watching the way that petrols are starting to close the gap to diesels again in terms of fuel economy for a given power output. Should be a good lump in the Focus for those not particularly interested in performance.

[anonymous-user]

now 2 together, 250 bhp v6 twin turbo, 35 + mpg, I like the sound of that.

Edited by The Spruce goose on Thursday 10th November 11:33

[Rabbo]

lgomgf said:

Now that is something... when I was back in Brazil for last x-mas my father had just purchased a ford Ka, engine 1.0 liter 4 cylinder... power... well, only 69cv...

It used to be 59bhp... and I think Noah had one in the Ark!

[Jimbo.]

Interesting

A shame they couldn't make it in Dagenham or Bridgend, mind

[Codswallop]

Sounds good, but why do internal combustion engines always get designed vertically? Would it be difficult if already designing an engine from scratch to make it horizontal (not unlike a boxer unit).

This would not only allow lower bonnetlines, but would also lower COG.

Genuinely interested what the implications are if anyone would care to educate me

[Zwoelf]

125bhp/litre specific output = interesting.

>reads it's turbocharged<

>reverts to indifference<

[GroundEffect]

If only you guys knew

[leon9191]

Now one of these in the KA hire car i did the Stelvio pass in last year would have been a hoot.

Could in theory sound pretty good as well.

[Jimbo.]

Codswallop said:

Sounds good, but why do internal combustion engines always get designed vertically? Would it be difficult if already designing an engine from scratch to make it horizontal (not unlike a boxer unit).

This would not only allow lower bonnetlines, but would also lower COG.

Genuinely interested what the implications are if anyone would care to educate me

Two heads, two valve trains (cams, drive etc), so greater production costs and heavier. A shame as that aside, it's ideal

EDIT: Packaging? With a boxer you either mount it forward to accommodate the gearbox, or have the gearbox intrude rearwards with associated FWD difficulties.

Edited by Jimbo. on Thursday 10th November 11:34

[71tuscan]

The Spruce goose said:

now 2 together, 250 bhp v6 turbo, i like the sound of that.

3... 375bhp W9
4... 500bhp V12

and so on!

[untakenname]

How much does the engine weigh? I was quite impressed when I first scanned the article as I thought it was n/a, for a turbo its not that impressive.

[FWDRacer]

kambites said:

Should be a good lump in the Focus for those not particularly interested in performance.

Spot on. The current 125PS 1.6 petrol in the current Focus couldn't pull your foreskin back in a car of that size/weight. I have one as a company snotter.

Hope the Turbo unit has more torque. Some twunt will start harping on about remaps inside 2 pages. Errr, warranty?

[Zwoelf]

GroundEffect said:

If only you guys knew

Knew what, oh great wise patronising one?

[crofty1984]

Codswallop said:

Sounds good, but why do internal combustion engines always get designed vertically? Would it be difficult if already designing an engine from scratch to make it horizontal (not unlike a boxer unit).

This would not only allow lower bonnetlines, but would also lower COG.

Genuinely interested what the implications are if anyone would care to educate me

Look up BMW K-series engine.
It has been done. I can think of a couple of considerations, but nothing that would say you absolutely can't.

[anonymous-user]

Fiat Twinair does somthing similar already, 125bhp from a 900cc

[GroundEffect]

Zwoelf said:

GroundEffect said:

If only you guys knew

Knew what, oh great wise patronising one?

Given I work at Dunton in the Powertrain department, I may be privvy to more information. Watch this space

[300bhp/ton]

Zwoelf said:

125bhp/litre specific output = interesting.

>reads it's turbocharged<

>reverts to indifference<

I'm quite pleased in some ways, as per the ethos of the article.

However is this really that amazing? I agree 125bhp/litre via turbocharging isn't anything new.

Hell an Evo FQ360 easily tops that with 180bhp/litre.

Even the Brabus Roadster with it's 698cc turbo 3 managed 143bhp/litre...... and the stock 80hp Roadster was around 115bhp/litre.

[8530]

Ford's new 3 cylinder Ecoboost engine video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQH9B9rskhg