Ford reveals all-new V8... and it's a diesel
Could this all-new bent-eight find its way under the snout of premium versions of the next-generation Ford Falcon and Territory?Say hello to the blue oval's high-tech new 3.6-litre turbo-diesel V8, engineered at Ford Europe's Dagenham Diesel Centre in the UK. The new powerplant is destined, at least initially, for up-spec models fielded by Land Rover and Jaguar -- such as the Range Rover and XJ sedan.
The V8 will supplement the smaller 2.7-litre turbodiesel V6 that's already available here in the Land Rover Discovery 3 and Range Rover (and a Jaguar S-Type powered by this engine is soon to arrive in Oz).
It's also no secret that Ford Australia has been evaluating the turbo-diesel V6 for its Territory. The home-grown SUV has won universal praise from buyers and the motoring press, but high fuel consumption remains one of its bugbears, and this could largely be resolved by slotting a state-of-the-art diesel under the bonnet.
When will this happen? No official word yet, but if petrol prices continue to soar, then one would expect it to occur sooner rather than later, particularly as arch rival Holden plans to offer diesel variants of its imminent new Captiva SUV.
Extending this argument further, it's not inconceivable that the new V8 diesel could be earmarked for top-spec variants of the next-gen Falcon and Territory. But this is pure speculation, and the cost of the motor could rule out such a scenario.
Be that as it may, the 3.6-litre unit certainly sounds good on paper. Peak power tops out at a highly respectable 200kW, but the real clincher is the mountainous 640Nm of torque -- a more realistic indicator of grunt -- it belts out. The latter figure eclipses the torque output of any HSV or FPV engine.
Like its acclaimed 2.7-litre V6 sibling, the turbo-diesel V8 is built from lightweight compacted graphite iron, a substance that's said to offer strength, durability and quietness.
The V8 will be built on the same production line that has turned out 110,000 examples of the 2.7-litre V6 for Jaguar, Land Rover and PSA Peugeot Citroen. Both V6 and V8 engine blocks are loaded onto cradles prior to assembly, which enable operators and the line itself to switch between the different units seamlessly.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
