Ford’s 1.0-liter Ecoboost Named 2012 International Engine of the Year

Ford’s  1.0-liter Ecoboost unit has been named 2012 International Engine of the Year, while also receiving the “Best New Engine” and “Best Engine Under 1.0-litre” accolades. This marks the first time when Ford has won an International Engine of the Year in the 13-year history of the awards, with the 1.0-liter unit, which is an example of downsizing, managing to achieve the highest score ever. “We set the bar incredibly high when we started to design this engine. We wanted to deliver eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance, quietness and refinement – and all from a very small, three-cylinder engine,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford global powertrain vice president. Here are the main features of Ford’s Ecoboost award winning engine: • An exhaust manifold, cast into the cylinder head, lowers the temperature of exhaust gases to enable the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band • A unique cast iron block warms the engine more quickly than a conventional aluminium block to cut by 50 per cent the amount of “warm-up” energy required, and cut fuel consumption • Two main engine drive belts are immersed in oil to deliver a quieter, more efficient engine • Offsetting the engine configuration by deliberately “unbalancing” the flywheel and pulley instead of adding energy-draining balancer shafts.