Next Morgan 3 Wheeler will dump V-twin for Ford power

Morgan has announced it will launch an all-new 3 Wheeler in 2022 that will feature an advanced aluminium chassis and a powertrain borrowed from the Ford Fiesta ST.

Accompanied by pictures of a prototype running the new 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder, the news that the next-gen Morgan 3 Wheeler will drop the old S&S-sourced air-cooled 2.0-litre V-twin will anger some purists, but was required on emissions grounds.

Under the new Morgan's bonnet, Ford's 1.5-litre turbo-triple will only produce around 95kW – which is much less than the 147kW output of the same engine in the Ford Fiesta ST, but will be a big upgrade on the old V-twin.

The historic British car-maker says its new 3 Wheeler will benefit from several 'engineering enhancements' and, even with its modest power output, it will once again reap the rewards of a sub-500kg kerb weight.

That means a 0-100km/h sprint time of less than six seconds should be completely feasible.

To cope with the enhanced performance, new aero elements have been added including diffuser plates on both sides to improve stability at high speeds.

Once again, the little Morgan will channel its power to the road via a single rear wheel driven by a toothed belt and a five-speed manual transmission sourced from the Mazda MX-5.

Even though the 2022 Morgan 3 Wheeler is said to share the same footprint as the quirky model it replaces, the new car will get a wider, lower floor that can better accommodate both taller and broader drivers.

While the the instruments and other cockpit clocks, dials and toggle switches will draw heavily from the past, one feature that will not be introduced will be a roof, although a fabric tonneau cover and a hard half-tonneau will be offered as an option.

Morgan axed plans to introduce a pure-electric 3 Wheeler at the last minute back in 2016, and a battery-powered 3 Wheeler based on the all-new model is not in the pipeline.