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Source: www.allfordmustangs.com Industry News
The first EcoBoost engine to be produced will be a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. The engine will be placed in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS intially, followed by placement in the Taurus SHO and Lincoln MKT towards the end of the summer, and it looks to be a very impressive engine. As a way to compare the power output of the EcoBoost V6 to the engines of other companies, Ford detailed a torque curve of the V6 versus the GM's 4.6-liter V8 that powers the Cadillac CTS. Both start out at about 235 lb-ft of torque at 1000 RPM, then, while the Cadillac's V8 gradually increases, the EcoBoost jumps to an impressive 350 lb-ft at 1500 RPM and maintains that output all the way up to 5500 RPM when it finally starts to decrease slightly, engine up at 300 lb-ft at 6000 RPM. The Cadillac's V8 gradually approaches a peak of 300 lb-ft at 4000 RPM, then dips down to 275 lb-ft by the 6000 RPM mark. The band of high torque output alone would place this engine towards the top of the ranks, but it gets even better. The Cadillac's V8 produces 320 horsepower and has a highway mpg rating of 22. The EcoBoost V6 has 355 horsepower and 25 mpg highway. Very impressive.
Ford's initial plan at the time of last year's announcement was to begin production with an output goal of 500,000 engines per year by 2014. Given the current state of the auto markets and the increasing trend of drivers buying more fuel efficient vehicles, Ford has expanded their plans. The first step is the integration of the V6 EcoBoost into the above mentioned models before the end of the year. By early 2010, the V6 will be offered in the F-150 as a smaller option to the current V8, and it is estimated that an EcoBoost F-150 will still manage a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, along with a 20% increase in fuel economy over the V8. As you can see by the graph below, Ford is dead set on having their EcoBoost engines be available on almost all of their models.
Next after that is an inline four-cylinder EcoBoost model with a 1.6-liter displacement. Initially set to debut in UK Ford models like the Focus, the engine will eventually migrate to the U.S. Also, a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four cylinder is in the works that will produce power comparable to the company's current 3.0-liter V6 and will eventually replace that engine.
And now the big question: will the Mustang be getting the EcoBoost treatment? There are plans, but it will take a few years. Either the 2011 or 2012 base model Mustang will likely be available with the EcoBoost V6. Further plans will hinge on how popular the model is. Power-wise, the EcoBoost V6 outdoes the current V6 Mustang powerplant, which offers 210 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is about even, as the EcoBoost-equipped Lincoln MKS has 25 mpg highway, and the current V6 Mustang gets 26. One final note, however, is that exact pricing of EcoBoost models have yet to be released. If the EcoBoost option means a big jump in the price, then it may have limited initial success. If, however, the EcoBoost option is about the same price as the current options, then get used to the name, because it will be around for a while. Graphs courtesy of Ford Motor Co. |
