Ford's smallest engine ever

Ford US has joined the ranks of the engine downsizers with the announcement of the smallest engine in the company's history – a 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder. Alongside the new engine, the company has debuted an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission and a hybrid transmission system developed in-house for its next generation of hybrid vehicles, including a new PHEV set for launch in 2012.

The company now has 12 vehicles that top their segments for fuel efficiency, four delivering 40 MPG (5.9L/100km) or better.

The new EcoBoost three hails originally from Ford's UK facility and was developed for the Start concept car (pictured) launched in Beijing last year. The aim for the new engine, from the outset, was to improve thermal efficiency and cut friction among its moving parts, particularly during the warm-up phase. IC (internal combustion) engines are at their dirtiest and least efficient while they're making their way up to their optimum running temperature. The new engine is designed to get up to that temperature ASAP after starting.

Alongside the established suite of technologies Ford has introduced under the EcoBoost label – turbocharging, direct injection, variable camshaft timing – the engine ushers in a number of new technologies the company says will filter through to other elements of its lineup. For example, it uses a new split cooling system which concentrates its energies into warming up the block before the cylinder head. Being larger and denser, the block normally takes longer to reach optimum temperature, consuming fuel and raising emissions. The engine also uses an offset crankshaft to help cut internal friction and boost fuel economy at low and medium speeds.

The design also sees the exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head, helping reduce exhaust temperature and letting the engine make use of its optimum fuel-to-air ratio through a wider rev band. It also saves weight and reduces NVH.

The engine is undergoing final calibrations at the moment, but the company says it will deliver power and torque figures equivalent or superior to current normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol fours.

With the transmission still under development, the company has promised more details to come.

Like the auto, the new continuously variable (CVT) hybrid transmission is designed, engineered and built in-house. It's ahead of the auto, with production planned to start late 2011 at its Detroit transmission plant, and ramp up to full volume in Q1 2012.

Set to replace the Japanese-made unit currently used in Ford and Lincoln hybrid models, it will help improve those vehicles' performance.

The CVT is part of a US$135 million investment by the company in bringing the design, engineering and production of key components in-house for its hybrid, EV and PHEV lineup. The company will launch five new electric and partially electric models in the US next year and in Europe by 2013.

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