EcoBoost Mondeo due mid-year

EcoBoost power for the MC Mondeo is scheduled for launch here around the middle of the year -- beating to market by a matter of months the locally-built Falcon with much the same engine.

Displacing 2.0 litres, the MC Mondeo's new frugal four will develop 149kW of power and 300Nm of torque. Ford claims that the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for the EcoBoost engine in the Mondeo are 20 per cent lower than for a conventional vehicle producing roughly the same output.

Specified for the Zetec and Titanium variants, the EcoBoost will be marketed as an alternative to the diesel TDCI models and will bolster the Mondeo range following the cessation of XR5 production. Indeed, the new 2.0-litre engine is just 13kW and 20Nm down on the output of the XR5's five-cylinder turbo engine.

Ford will continue to sell the current 2.3-litre naturally-aspirated and port-injected four-cylinder in the entry-level Mondeo LX, but no other variants will be powered by this engine. It's all part of Ford's global design to downsize, cut fuel consumption and combat sales inroads by alternative-energy vehicles.

"Our new family of Ford EcoBoost petrol engines, which are being rolled out around the globe, represent a key element of Ford Motor Company's global 'Blueprint for Sustainability'," said Bob Graziano, Ford Australia President.

"We believe that these engines will provide customers with a genuinely attractive alternative to diesel or hybrid power units, delivering highly competitive fuel economy and cost-of-ownership, along with the responsive performance and wide rev range that have made petrol engines the favoured choice for so many drivers."

The EcoBoost Mondeo models will come with a six-speed PowerShift (double-clutch) transmission -- a self-shifting transmission such as the XR5 never offered -- and will also provide some extra performance the Zetec and Titanium models have lacked until now. Maximum power arrives at 6000rpm, but peak torque remains constant across a rev range from 1750 to 4500rpm, hinting at flexible power delivery with the PowerShift box.

Constructed entirely from aluminium, the new engine is built in Valencia, Spain and, in addition to the direct injection and the Borg-Warner K03 turbocharger, enhances fuel-efficiency through variable camshaft timing for the DOHC valvetrain and bowl-in-crown pistons that are oil-cooled. Ford's respective fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for the new GTDi engine (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct injection) are 8.0L/100km and 187g/km in combined-cycle testing.

While the new engine is making its local debut in the Mondeo, it will break new ground once more when it's released in the locally-built Falcon -- the first rear-wheel drive application for this engine in the Ford world. According to Ford Australia the engine in the Falcon will be tuned to deliver higher output than in the Mondeo.

"Mondeo will again take on the role of pioneer for the introduction of this new and innovative technology that characterises Ford's ambitious product launch calendar for 2011," said Graziano.

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