Ford Motor Company’s ultra-fuel efficient and spirited
1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine today was named 2013 International Engine of
the Year, marking the second straight year Ford’s acclaimed three-cylinder
engine has captured the award.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost – which combines direct fuel
injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing to lower fuel consumption
without sacrificing power – received the highest score in the history of the
awards. The engine also won the “Best Engine Under 1.0-litre” category at the
annual awards presented by Engine Technology International magazine.
Ford also confirmed plans to double production of the engine
at its Cologne (Germany) Engine Plant to more than 1 000 engines a day from
mid-August to meet demand.
“With a technology as mature as the internal combustion
engine, it’s very rare to achieve a true breakthrough, but that is exactly what
the team accomplished with this engine,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president,
Global Powertrain. “You have to drive it to believe a small three-cylinder
engine can deliver such performance and fuel economy.”
A panel of 87 automotive journalists from 35 countries
around the world judged the awards on drivability, performance, economy,
refinement and the successful application of advanced engine technology. Ford
is one of three car makers to record back-to-back victories in the 15-year
history of the awards. The Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost also has won the
International Paul Pietsch Award 2013 for technological innovation at German
magazine Auto Motor und Sport Best Cars Awards and the Dewar Trophy from the
Royal Automobile Club in Great Britain, a Breakthrough Award from Popular
Mechanics magazine in the U.S.
“Who'd have believed it? A 1.0-litre engine that has it all,
powerful, fuel efficient, clean and lightweight,” said Peter Lyon, U.K. juror
and freelance journalist. “This is a masterpiece.”
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost was designed at Ford’s research and
development centres in Aachen and Merkenich, Germany, and Dunton, U.K., and is
built in Cologne and Craiova, Romania.
Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the 15th International Engine
of the Year awards and editor of Engine Technology International Magazine,
said: “Baby EcoBoost – Ford’s first-ever three-cylinder design – is still the
engine to beat across the board. It’s economical in real-world conditions while
the compact turbo helps ensure that the entire package can power larger
vehicles like the Grand C-MAX with ease.”
In South Africa, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is currently
offered in the Fiesta and will also be a part of the EcoSport range, coming
later this year.
STORY BY FORD
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