Ford Malaysia recently organised the ‘Ford EcoBoost Track Day Experience’ activity to showcase the exceptional power and performance of Ford’s EcoBoost engine technology that provides the mileage drivers need with the power they want.
Just last week, Ford Malaysia took us on a track day experience featuring every single EcoBoost-powered vehicle in their line-up. These include the Fiesta EcoBoost with its award winning 1-litre 3 pot, the Fiesta and Kuga with their 1.5-litre motors, the mighty Fiesta ST with its 1.6-litre (and 6-speed manual!) as well as the Mondeo and S-Max, both sporting the brilliant 2-litre units. Oh, and there was a surprise appearance of the Mustang 2.3-litre EcoBoost, but we’ll save that story for later.
For those not in the know, EcoBoost engines are downsized, turbocharged petrol motors with Twin-independent Variable Camshaft Exhaust (Ti-VCT) and direct injection technology. Ti-VCT is allows for precise management over the intake and exhaust valves, so the engine is always as efficient, no matter where you are on the rev range. Direct injection also allows for very calculated doses of fuel to be introduced into the cylinder at the right time.
These two features ensure that small engines can deliver immense power the moment it’s demanded. As a result, every engine wearing the EcoBoost badge has at the power and torque figures of engines at least a litre larger in each category. But why bother with downsizing in the first place?
Well, in most cases, you won’t be asking the engine to give you all the power its got. In fact, if you live in the Klang Valley, chances are you’ll be stuck in traffic most of the time. Having a smaller displacement when coping with heavy traffic or even regular driving conditions means you’re naturally going to burn less petrol. The much lower road tax rates are also a welcome benefit – no EcoBoost engine sold in Malaysia exceeds the 2.3-litre threshold, and even that unit is only found in the Mustang (at least in Malaysia).
At the track event, we got to see just what these engines were capable of. But before arriving at the location, we were issued an ‘RM20 Dare’. Participants had to head from Cyberjaya to Port Dickson – a distance of nearly 100km – on just RM20 of fuel. All but one of the Fords manages this incredible feat, and this challenge wasn’t even taken very seriously. Most of us were gunning it every chance we got!
We later headed to the Putrajaya Recreational Airstrip, where we put the S-MAX, Kuga and Mondeo to the test on a 300m stretch of runway. All Fords are equipped with Electronic Stability Control, so the braking tests here were carried out easily.
After that was the Precision Test, which involved the Fiesta and Focus on an autocross course.
Thanks to Ford’s excellent suspension setup on the Focus, the course was chewed up with 0 drama.
The Fiesta was a delight too, and still one of the best hatchbacks to drive despite its age.
Finally, we participated in the ‘EcoBoost Unboxing’ where we unboxed a large 18×6 feet box containing a Mustang equipped with a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. We were lucky enough to be taken for a spin in the wet in this. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun!
