Falcon EcoBoost more than an engine upgrade

Today is an historic occasion for the Ford Motor Company in Australia. At no time in its 52-year history has Ford's locally-built large car, the Falcon, been powered by a four-cylinder engine. That is about to change, however, with the launch today of the EcoBoost engine in the Falcon sedan.

For those who think the EcoBoost Falcon will be another Mk II Consul, a TF Cortina or — worst of all, a Starfire Commodore — this is "a date which will live in infamy", to paraphrase the late US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But the rationale for the smaller displacement engine makes sense. While Ford has downplayed the immediate effect the new 2.0-litre engine is likely to have on sales, if the four-banger resonates with the car-buying public it could be the break the local manufacturer needs.

Ford has already revealed much of what there is to know about the 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine and pricing for those variants powered by it, but to reiterate: the engine develops 179kW @ 5500 rpm and 353Nm @ 2000 rpm. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are respectively rated at 8.1L/100km and 192g/km for the Falcon XT variant with the EcoBoost engine. In keeping with most other models in the range, the EcoBoost Falcon will be solely offered with a six-speed automatic transmission.

EcoBoost will be offered in three levels of trim, the base XT, the mid-range G6 and the high-grade G6E. Prices are the same as the six-cylinder variants, meaning XT kicks off at $37,235. G6 is priced at $40,835 and the G6E caps the range at $46,735.

“We want Ford Falcon customers to embrace this technology, so we’ve worked aggressively to ensure this high-tech engine is accessible to all our Falcon customers,” said Ford Australia President Bob Graziano in a press release, thus explaining why the four-cylinder Falcon costs no more than the six.

A lot of buyers may have been expecting that, if anything, the EcoBoost engine would reduce the price of entry to Falcon ownership. That's clearly not the case and the price parity with the six-cylinder points to Ford's need to amortise development costs (for the Mk II Falcon range in general, not  just the EcoBoost variants). Furthermore, the company doesn't want the market to perceive the EcoBoost Falcon as a second-rate/cut-price alternative to the six, as lower pricing would signal.

We first drove the EcoBoost Falcon back in December and gave it a thumbs up at the time. Performance was within striking range of the six's, and here's how Ford got there...

The two key elements of the engine's frugal fuel use are the turbocharger and the direct injection. In the case of the latter, fuel pressure from the stainless steel rail is 150bar and the injectors each spray through seven jets. The system works in conjunction with high-flow inlet ports, to draw in plenty of air. According to Ford, fuel from the direct-injection system cools the charge in the combustion chamber and so facilitates the slightly higher compression ratio of 9.3:1 for improved fuel efficiency.

Unlike conventional port injection systems, which allow fuel to puddle around the tops of the intake valves, the direct injection system won't create any emissions spikes on start-up and the system is altogether cleaner. Ford claims also that direction injection helps reduce turbo lag , a common problem in turbocharged engines. The turbocharger, which will spin at up to 200,000rpm, boosts the airflow up to 13 psi.

Ford builds the 2.0-litre EcoBoost at its engine plant in Valencia Spain. Although the company has toyed with it in the F250 truck range, the Falcon is the first application of the engine technology in a rear-wheel drive car to reach the mass market. And it's a telling point that while the engine is Euro 4-compliant — and therefore meets the current Aussie emissions standard applicable — Ford claims it is also capable of meeting Euro 5 in the future. As a long-term solution to the question of making Falcon appeal more to fleet buyers and the budget-conscious, the EcoBoost engine makes sense, but only with appropriate modification of the Falcon to suit...

NVH countermeasures developed for the SZ Territory have been co-opted for the Falcon EcoBoost and include an acoustic windscreen. Other features that contribute to lower noise levels in the four-cylinder Ford comprise an optimised outer dash sound package, increased thickness for the inner dashboard insulation and increased front floorwell sound insulation. These are carried across from the revised MkII Falcon six-cylinder range.

For the EcoBoost variants alone, Ford specified an upgraded hood insulator, an engine cover insulator and a bespoke exhaust system. Four and six-cylinder G6 and G6E variants also boast an additional under-engine insulator.

At the very least the product development team for the new drivetrain variant had to retune the springs and dampers to suit the significantly lighter engine, which is also shorter than the cast-iron block six that has previously been the entry-level engine option for the Falcon. Without the appropriate changes to meet the differing needs of the new engine, weight distribution would be thrown out, placing in jeopardy the Falcon's well regarded cornering, braking and even ride comfort.

There were, additionally, some relatively minor adjustments made to the underpinnings of the EcoBoost variants to meet the specific needs of those models, by grade. The EcoBoost Falcon G6, for instance, reflecting its more luxurious ride settings, has a smaller diameter anti-roll bar at the rear.

In the case of the entry-level Falcon XT, a larger front anti-roll bar was specified; the diameter has been increased from 31 to 32mm. Ride height has been reduced by 13mm for the XT models also. The EcoBoost Falcon XT rides on 16-inch low-rolling resistance tyres supplied by Goodyear. Measuring 215/60 R16, the tyres are inflated to 38PSI, rather than 33PSI for other Falcon variants. All EcoBoost variants come with a variable displacement power steering pump.

Reverse-parking sensors are now standard across the Falcon sedan range. The system, in addition to detecting objects at the rear of the car when reverse gear is selected, displays a spatial graphic in the Interior Command Centre screen.

Active safety is upgraded also, with Ford selecting a new 'Generation 9.0' Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system for the MkII models. This new system bundles Traction Control (TCS), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). DSC is now also a standard equipment item for all the entry-level Falcon Ute models.

Ford secured a component of funding for the EcoBoost Falcon from the federal government, under the auspices of the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund. As we learned from Ford back in 2009, the combination of EcoBoost project and the diesel Territory earned Ford $42 million worth of support from the GCIF at the time.

Ford's investment over the period of development — also including funding for the Falcon EcoLPI — totalled $232 million. And chances are it wouldn't have happened without the GCIF. Ford and other manufacturers in Australia (Holden and Toyota), encourage the federal government to continue co-investing in new automotive projects, which explains the expression of gratitude from Ford Australia president, Bob Graziano in the press release.

“We greatly appreciate the assistance of the Australian and Victorian State Governments towards the development of the Falcon EcoBoost. The project was made possible with a $42 million Federal co-investment under the Green Car Innovation Fund, as well as co-investment provided by the Victorian Government.”

Future financial support for the automotive industry from state and federal governments will undoubtedly hinge on the success of projects like the EcoBoost Falcon. It's a waiting game...

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