Ford making start-stop standard across 2017 EcoBoost-equipped F-150 lineup

Ford is making Auto Start-Stop technology standard across the entire lineup of EcoBoost-equipped 2017 F-150 pickups.

The 2016 F-150 with 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine comes standard with Auto Start-Stop. That offering continues for 2017, with the addition of the technology as standard equipment for all 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines including the all-new high-output version for F-150 Raptor.

At the rate EcoBoost is growing, fuel-saving Auto Start-Stop could represent more than 60% of the truck lineup, giving F-150 the highest number of Ford nameplates offering standard Auto Start-Stop technology.

Specially tuned for truck customers, Auto Start-Stop shuts off the engine when the vehicle is at a stop—except when towing or in four-wheel-drive mode—to give drivers power on demand when they need it most. When the brake is released, the engine restarts quickly.

Actual fuel savings vary depending on driving patterns. The technology also contributes to a reduction in CO₂ emissions due to decreased idle times.

Other Ford vehicles are available with Auto Start-Stop are:

• Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost
• Fusion 1.5-liter EcoBoost
• Edge 2.0-liter twin-scroll EcoBoost
• 2017 Escape 1.5-liter EcoBoost, 2.0-liter twin-scroll EcoBoost

Ford Builds Five Millionth EcoBoost Vehicle

The year was 2009 when the first Ford powered by the then-new line of EcoBoost engines debuted, promising big engine power but small engine fuel economy. It all began with the 3.5 liter V6 in the Ford Taurus, but EcoBoost engines rocking three and four-cylinders can be had in just about every available Ford and Lincoln vehicle, and consumers can’t get enough of them.

Last week, the five millionth vehicle equipped with an EcoBoost engine came off the assembly line at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. That car was a 2015 Ford Focus with the three-time award-winning 1.0 liter three-cylinder EcoBoost under the hood, which is appropriate given the growing popularity of the small-displacement powerplant. The 1.0 liter EcoBoost has demonstrated incredible flexibility, equally capable delivering hybrid-rivaling fuel economy and high-thrills Formula Ford racing action, though it’s just one of a growing number of small-displacement turbo engines at the Blue Oval’s disposal. It’s a welcome alternative from Ford’s frugal-but-less-fun line of hybrids to be sure.

In addition to the 1.0 liter three-banger and 3.5 liter V6, four-cylinder EcoBoost engines range from 1.6 to 2.3 liters in displacement, and the new 2.7 liter “Nano” EcoBoost V6 delivers a healthy 325 horsepower, as much as some competitor’s V8 motors. Like the 1.0 liter engine, Ford has made it so it can easily tune its EcoBoost engines for either fuel economy or performance, which allows cars like the 40 MPG Focus SFE to share a platform with the 320 horsepower Focus RS, both powered by EcoBoost engines. Even the Ford Mustang can be had with a four-cylinder turbo again.

Production has rapidly increased over the past three years, as it took until 2012 for Ford to build the first half-million EcoBoost motors, though there are those who say you get far more “Boost” than “Eco” for your money. But for Ford, EcoBoost has been a huge success that has allowed the automaker to bounce back in a big, big way.

Ford EcoSport 1.0 EcoBoost UK first drive review

Ford’s Fiesta-on-stilts compact SUV has some appeal, although it is less interesting to drive than it is to look at

What is it?

A startled blowfish. A cartoon character. A cheerful balloon. The look of the new Ford EcoSport has been likened to many things, but it is certainly distinctive.

The EcoSport augments the Blue Oval’s SUV range and will sit below the existing Kuga, with the larger Edge completing the three-vehicle line-up when it arrives next year.

Based on the B-class vehicle platform that also underpins the Fiesta, and built at the Chennai plant in India, Ford is anticipating that the EcoSport will mop up sales in this fast-growing segment, where buyers traditionally put more emphasis on appealing design than on price or dynamic ability. Hence the dramatically bluff front-end styling and aggressive stance.

Its looks alone could lose the EcoSport as many admirers as it wins, but in a market segment ruled by funky designs such as the Nissan Juke andRenault Captur, Ford has little room for conservatism.

Ford’s strategy with the EcoSport is to keep it simple. A limited range of engines is offered, and at present the only gearbox option is a five-speed manual, but a six-speed Powershift dual-clutch automatic transmission is due early next year on the more powerful 1.5-litre petrol variant.

There isn’t much scope for overloading the EcoSport with extras either; Ford offers all cars in Titanium trim, with the option of upgrading with a Titanium X pack which costs £1000 and adds full leather, cruise control and 17in alloys in place of the standard 16in items. Ford expects half of EcoSport buyers to choose the package.

Beyond that, there are few cost options, among them Ford’s Sync connectivity package (costing £250), metallic paint (£495) and rear parking sensors (£210).

The EcoSport is on its second generation in South America, where it was first introduced back in 2003, but this is the first version to reach Europe. It is still a rare sight on UK roads, and this was our first opportunity to drive one in this country.

What is it like?

The high-riding driving position, and the clear frontal view it affords, are the most novel aspects of the interior. The rest of the EcoSport – recognisable from other Ford products – is far less adventurous than you might expect given the car’s strong exterior lines, and lacks the pizzazz of rivals such as the Captur.

Still, it majors on practical considerations. Both headroom and legroom are very good, boot space is 310 litres and you can free up a not-inconsiderable 1238 litres by folding and tumbling both elements of the 60:40 split rear bench.

Although mounting the spare wheel on the rear door is a clever way to liberate more boot space, it does feel more like a design-led gimmick. From a practical perspective, it makes the side-hinging door rather heavy and awkward, which could be an issue if you’re grappling with luggage or shopping bags.

It’s clear from the outset that heady performance isn’t the EcoSport’s forte. In the Fiesta, this engine can sprint to 62mph in 9.4sec, while installed in this baby SUV takes a rather more sedate 12.7sec. 

On more twisting roads, though, the EcoSport shows little sign of body roll, cornering with a precision that’s quite pleasing for a supermini-on-stilts. It could even feel like a deft performer were it not for light and not particularly engaging steering that’s presumably set-up to focus on town centre manouvering. 

The ride is composed, with only the most significant of road ruts communicating to the driver. The EcoBoost engine emits its now-familiar three-pot thrum, noticeable but not overbearing during acceleration and at motorway speeds. Those used to the Fiesta might notice a touch more road and wind noise, but it’s not intrusive.

Ford says the EcoSport has some genuine off-roading capability, with 180mm of ground clearance. We did not have the opportunity to test the claim, although the lack of a four-wheel-drive variant in the UK model range suggests the only jungle this model will be seen in is an urban one.

Our short test route in the 1.0-litre EcoBoost returned fuel economy in the low 40mpg region. Although a subsequent drive in the 1.5-litre diesel version returned 45mpg over the same varied roads, the oilburner costs an extra £500.

Should I buy one?

The cost of the EcoSport is competitive in relation to its main rivals, bar the budget-conscious Dacia Duster, although as Ford itself points out, buyers in this segment tend to be attracted more by design appeal than a cheap sticker price.

And whether the EcoSport’s looks appeal compared to, say, the Juke orMokka will be a purely subjective decision for the prospective buyer.

In such a competitive market sector, though, Ford has made the EcoSport stand out in key areas, particularly with its agreeable (but not dynamic) driving experience, pleasant urban manners and above-par interior space.

Ford EcoSport 1.0 Ecoboost

Price £15,995 0-62mph 12.7sec Top speed 112mph Economy 53.3mpgCO2 125g/km Kerb weight 1350kg Engine 3-cyls, 999cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 123bhp at 6000rpm Torque 125lb ft at 1400-4500rpmGearbox 5-spd manual

Source: Autocar

Ford's Three-Cylinder Engine Does Well In Fiesta; Focus Next Up

Three cylinders is about three-quarters what many U.S. consumers will tolerate, about half the number they prefer and three eighths that of what some consider ideal.

It may come as a surprise then that Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder, as found in the Fiesta, is actually beating Ford's sales expectations.

About four to eight percent of Fiesta buyers are choosing the 3-pot, reports The Detroit News, despite it only coming with a stick shift--also a hard-sell in American-market vehicles.

To give that sales percentage some perspective, it's roughly equivalent to sales of the car at the opposite end of the Fiesta spectrum--the 200-horsepower Fiesta ST.

It's only a thousand cars so far, which isn't enough to indicate a trend. But it does suggest that some consumers are already willing to trade more conventional engines for the latest generation threes.

Previously, three-cylinder engines have been the preserve of bottom-rung models, relegated to the tiniest and slowest cars on the road.

Daimler's Smart brand has soldiered on for several years with three-cylinder units, while Mitsubishi's Mirage features a 1.2-liter, naturally-aspirated triple reminiscent of cars like the old Geo Metro--a renowned three-cylinder fuel-sipper.

Ford has dragged the engine from its bargain-basement billing however, hugely improving refinement and bolting on a turbocharger for extra go.

As a result, it develops 123 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque, both greater figures than the entry-level 1.6-liter also offered. Despite the extra performance, it's also frugal--37 mpg combined (32 mpg city, 45 mpg highway) to the 1.6 SFE's 34 mpg combined (30 mpg city, 41 mpg highway).

Engines like that found in the Fiesta will be vital in meeting future Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets--which is why Ford will also introduce the 1.0 EcoBoost to the Focus range this fall.

That really will be a shake-up for customers--one of the smallest engines an automaker has ever offered in a compact car in the U.S, in a class where engines under two liters capacity are still regarded with suspicion.

In the Fiesta, Ford is expecting EcoBoost sales to climb with the typical summer rise in gas prices, though Ford's biggest problem at the moment is getting stock.

The 3-cylinder engines are produced back at Ford's facility in Germany, so cars are typically built to order rather than hanging around on dealer forecourts.

It won't be long before other three-cylinders filter onto the market, either. The 2014 MINI Cooper uses a 1.5-liter three-cylinder as its base engine, also found in the new BMW i8 plug-in sports car.

GM is working on three-cylinders too--though it's less clear whether any cars so-equipped will make it to U.S. shores.

If sales continue to rise though, it may not be long before three cylinder engines break free of their econobox shackles and displace four-cylinders as the best way of saving gas.

Source: Green Car Reports

Driving the Highest MPG Car in America (That’s Not a Hybrid)

A few weeks ago, Ford announced that its new 2014 Ford Fiesta with a 1.0 liter Ecoboost 3 cylinder engine was the highest MPG car you could buy that wasn’t a hybrid with its 32/45 (37 combined) mpg rating. Almost immediately, the Mitsubishi fan base started grumbling. “Not so fast, Ford!” they said. “Mitsubishi has the highest MPG car you can buy that’s not a hybrid, the Mirage CVT that gets 37/44 (40 combined) mpg.” For the most part, though, a lot of the media guys that I know dismissed the Mitsubishi, with one even saying “Mitsubishi’s not a thing anymore.”

Could that be true? Could it be that the driving force behind the DiamondStar turbos and the 2.2L Dodge Shelbys of the 80s were simply “not a thing anymore”? I didn’t buy it, so I reached out to Mitsubishi and asked to drive one of the new Mirage CVTs- a few days later, a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage CVT ES in “Infrared” showed up at my door in Oak Park.

My first impressions of the Mirage were largely positive. It’s a cute little car, with much better proportions than the neighbor’s Smart despite the tiny wheels. The Infrared paint, too, was deep and reflective. So far so good, I thought as I looked through the Mitsubishi paperwork- the $15,990 ES PKG included all the usual power this and cruise that, along with ABS, traction control, a CD player, and a few other safety gizmos. It even had a few options (which ticked the price up a bit, of course) like fog lights and a Bluetooth system.

Getting into the highest MPG car in America was easy enough, and I was met with my first happy surprise …

… a starter button.

I know, I know- in 2014 a starter button is nothing to get excited about, but my last exposure to a Mitsubishi was a 2011 Galant. That experience was not positive, so to find a little bit of sporty playfulness in the Mirage gave me some hope. Glancing over at the 140 MPH speedo (see, above) also made me chuckle, since the Mirage, in stock trim, makes just 74 hp from its 1.2 liter non-turbocharged engine.

I was already smiling before I started the car. The little engine buzzed to life and settled into its idle as I adjusted the seats. Nothing special there, but they were significantly more comfortable than, say, the seats in the Sonata Hybrid I drove in Texas. I put the little Mirage in “D”, and puttered off with the wife in the passenger seat.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“Why doesn’t it have a mirror up here?” she asked.

It was a question answered with a question, so I knew the little car was in trouble. Sure enough, there was no mirror in the passenger-side sunshade. “That’s pretty janky,” she said, flipping the sunshade up, dismissively. “You know what happened,” she began. “They had a group of people in a focus group somewhere, and they thought ‘Yeah, I usually drive alone, so I don’t care if there’s a mirror over there’, but that’s the kind of thing that would make me, as a passenger, think it was a cheap car.”

I had to agree with her, and not just because I’m a little afraid of her. I looked at the steering wheel of the Mirage, and I felt like I didn’t need the audio controls. I would have traded those for a mirror on the passenger side. I had a tachometer, too, in a car with a CVT. I’d have traded that for a mirror, too- which reminds me: in D mode, the Mirage is absolutely miserable to drive.

Yeah, no “car guy diplomacy” here. In D, the Mirage CVT “upshifts” too early, is never on boil, and is genuinely bad. There’s a fix, however, and it looks like this:

B mode. In “B” mode, the Mitsubishi keeps its engine right around its 4000 rpm torque peak, and throttle response becomes instantaneous. The effect, on a car this small, light, and otherwise low on power is utterly transformative.

Instead of behaving like a miserable little “econobox” in the worst sense of the word, the Mitsubishi Mirage CVT in B mode behaves like a cartoon turtle with a nest of angry honeybees crammed under its shell. It scoots, too! Driving around town in B mode, I never felt like the Mirage was underpowered- and during Monday evening’s snow dump on Chicago, I got to test the Mirage in snow, on the interstate, in heavy rush hour traffic. I never felt like I was in a cheap car (helped, I’m sure, by the comfortable seat and leather steering wheel/shifter, which were all I touched, for the most part).

After a week of fun, inner-city running about with the little Mirage, I was more than a little sad to see the car go.

“Your gonna miss your little friend, aren’t you?” asked the wife, condescendingly.

“You know, I actually am,” I said.

She eyed me suspiciously. “Did Mitsubishi just sell you a car?”

“Maybe,” I said. “It kind of depends what we can get out of that engine block.”

“What did you get out of the race car?” she asked, referring to the white DSM drag car me n’ the boys are planning to run next year.

“That’s making about 800 wheel,” I said.

“At least you’ll be able to get it to 140, then,” she said.

That’s true- but will I actually buy one? If I did, I’d go for the lower-end DE version and skip the cruise control and steering-wheel audio buttons, but I’d fight the dealer pretty hard to get the leather wheel and shift knob. I’d get mine in “Kiwi Green”, too, since I decided the Infrared looks like it’s trying way too hard to be an “upscale” color and it plays better with the “bee-ridden turtle” analogy that I came up with earlier … and the fact that I’m even that far along in the process should tell you how much I dug driving the highest MPG car that’s not a hybrid.

What did you think of the Mirage? Have you driven one? Did you like it? Let us- and Mitsubishi!- know, in the comments.

Source:  Gas2.0

2014 Ford Fiesta With 1.0 Liter EcoBoost Rated At 45 MPG

Everyone want hybrid-like fuel economy, but not everyone wants to pay the premium price for a hybrid car. The Ford Fiesta with the 1.0 liter EcoBoost could be the proper alternative to a more-expensive hybrid, offering up to 45 mpg on the highway for a starting price of just $16,445 (plus a $795 destination fee). Ford may have just undercut its own hybrids with this move.

To wit, the 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine provides the 2014 Ford Fiesta with 32 mpg in the city and up to 45 mpg on the highway. While Ford has reportedly played fast-and-loose with the fuel economy numbers of its new line of hybrids, I am thinking they learned their lesson regarding customer expectations. The 2014 Fiesta had damn well better get 45 mpg, or customers will be up in arms. Again.

While the city fuel economy leaves some room for improvement, the 45 mpg highway rating is better than every other compact car offering, including Honda’s CR-Z mild hybrid. Ford also kept the price as low as possible, starting at $17,240 for the sedan or $17,850 for the hatchback. That’s right in line with competitors pricing, and is low enough for most consumers to want to make the upgrade to the better engine. The standard Fiesta gets up to 29 city and 40 highway (with the SFE fuel saver package) and has a 120 horsepower 1.6 liter engine.

That means the 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine package (which includes a decklid spoiler, 15-inch steel wheels, and regenerative brakes) adds about $995 to the price of the Fiesta, while improving the gas mileage by some 4 mpgs on the highway. Customers can expect to have about 123 horsepower to play with in an engine that has proven wildly popular. Also, this motor is no slouch in the right car, as Ford has proven.

That works out to approximately 40 to 50 miles extra between fill-ups, and at that rate it won’t take too long to make up the extra money. The Ford Fiesta and EcoBoost line of engines is proving to be amazingly versatile, offering both high-mpg models and high-performance from engines with less displacement than a bottle of soda. With compacts like the Fiesta now offering hybrid-like fuel economy though, could Ford lose out on sales of cars like the Fusion hybrid, which carries a higher sticker and profit margin?

Source:  Ford

Forbidden Fruit: Europe's Ford Focus 3-Cyl EcoBoost Gets Even Greener

As the U.S. still eagerly awaits the introduction of the 3-cylinder EcoBoost Ford Fiesta, European drivers are buying Ford's tiny-engined cars in their droves.

Various versions off the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder, turbocharged gasoline unit are available in both the Fiesta and larger Focus--and when the Ford Fusion hits Europe as the next Mondeo, it too will be equipped with the turbocharged unit.

Ford has just announced a new version of the engine for the Focus, allowing it to dip below the all-important 100 grams per kilometer of CO2 limit--gateway to several low-tax thresholds in European countries.

It's the first gasoline-engined, non-hybrid car in the compact class to do so--though a handful of hybrids and several diesel models do dip below the limit. That also means it's the best non-hybrid, non-diesel car in the class for economy.

Ford's graphic in our images above shows just how far engine technology has come along since the first Ford Focus in the 1990s.

On the European combined cycle--typically returning a figure 15-20 percent than an EPA equivalent--it manages just over 56 mpg. That's a realistic mid-40s by EPA standards, or over 10 mpg better than the 2013 Ford Focus with the SFE package, at 33 mpg combined.

Ford Focus Wagon 1.0t EcoBoost - First Drive

Real-world gas-mileage would probably be a little lower still--we've noticed that the latest generation of truly small turbocharged gasoline engines can struggle to match official figures unless you're really light-of-foot.

The trade-off is an incredibly quiet and refined engine--more so than in the smaller Fiesta, where some of the three-cylinder thrum penetrates into the cabin.

In the Focus's heavier body, performance is less impressive--12.5 seconds to 62 mph, 115 mph for the existing 100-horsepower model (an engine we've driven in the Fiesta)--but buyers sticking mostly to local journeys are unlikely to mind.

While the EcoBoost units cost a little more than the non-turbocharged gasoline engines they replace, they're often cheaper to buy than diesel equivalents. Depending on your European country of choice, gasoline is sometimes cheaper than diesel--but in those where diesel is cheaper, Ford still sells a wide lineup of diesel-engined Focus too.

For American buyers though, it's the same old story--the performance compromises of selling such a small engine in a relatively weighty car are just a little too great. For that reason, a one-liter Focus won't be arriving any time soon. Still, that's where the Fiesta comes in...

Source: Green Car Reports

Best Mileage Non-Hybrid Car In 2014: From Ford Or Mitsubishi?

You want a four-seat car with the highest EPA combined gas-mileage rating you can get--but you've decided you don't want a hybrid.

For 2014, two new competitors are joining the fray--and they seem likely to offer considerably better fuel efficiency than today's best-of-the-pack.

This year, your winning choice is the 2013 Nissan Versa L subcompact sedan, rated at a combined 35 mpg when fitted with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

(The 2014 Nissan Versa Note hatchback is also rated at 35 mpg with the same powertrain, by the way.)

Coming for the 2014 model year, though, are two cars that promise to surpass the Versa models' ratings.

The first one is the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, that maker's first subcompact in the U.S. for more than a decade.

Launched this spring at the New YorkAuto Show, the small, rounded hatchback features a 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine that develops a modest 74 horsepower and 74 pounds-feet of torque.

Two transmissions are offered--either a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT--and with the latter, the 2014 Mirage's projected EPA combined rating is 40 mpg (37 mpg city, 44 mpg highway).

That's better than any other subcompact except the hybrid Toyota Prius C hatchback(at 50 mpg combined).

The other non-hybrid contender the updated 2014 Ford Fiesta subcompact, fitted with a new engine.

It's the new 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that uses Ford's EcoBoost turbocharging technology to deliver about the same power as a conventional 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, previously the sole option in U.S. Fiestas.

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage at 2013 New York Auto Show

That engine is far more powerful than the non-turbocharged Mitsubishi one: The 1.0-liter three puts out 123 horsepower (at a high 6,000 rpm) and a fairly useful 148 lb-ft of torque (at 1,400 rpm).

We drove a prototype 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost last fall, and found it enjoyable and zippy, especially when driving it hard on the switchback roads through the canyons of Los Angeles.

We didn't take any gas-mileage readings during our brief, hard test drive, however, and Ford hasn't yet released final specifications for the 2014 Fiesta.

So we're looking forward to seeing whether the EcoBoost Fiesta can equal or best the somewhat underpowered Mitsubishi.

Ford has said only that the Fiesta 1.0-liter will be among the highest-rated non-hybrid cars for gas mileage, so we think this should be one to watch.

Source: Green Car Reports

Daimler consulting with Ford about 3-cylinder engines

Soon enough, Ford will offer its 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine under the hood of the Fiesta here in the United States, building on the success of the small powerplant overseas. In fact, this success has caused other automakers to take notice, and according to Automotive News Europe, Daimler is now talking to Ford about this engine for use in its own products.

In other markets, Ford offers the 1.0-liter mill under the hood of the Focus (we had the chance to sample this package on our home turf), as well as the B-Max MPV. For this new collaboration, Daimler would use the turbo-three in the next-generation Smart ForTwo, as well as the Renault Twingo, which the German automaker will be collaborating on as part of its alliance with Renault-Nissan. Speaking to AN, a Mercedes-Benz engineer called the 1.0-liter mill an "interesting and impressive engine."

In exchange for details about the EcoBoost inline-three, Daimler will supply Ford with information regarding its Euro6 stratified lean-burn gasoline engine, which is found in the new E-Class sedan.

This isn't the first time Ford has collaborated with Daimler and Renault-Nissan about powertrain development. Earlier this year, the companies said they would all work together on hydrogen fuel cell development, with a plan to introduce a hydrogen powertrain by 2017.

Source: Autoblog