Ford Eco-Boost 2.0 Liter: The Little Engine that Could
Ford’s New Ecoboost Engine, originally uploaded by CC Chapman
Talk at Ford has suggested that by 2012, they will offer a small engine alternative for just about every vehicle they manufacturer. This includes even the Ford F-150, which is slated to receiving an eco-boost V-6 somewhere down the not-so-distant road.
The 3.5-liter Eco-Boost (263 horsepower base) has already made its appearance with the Ford Taurus. It has proven itself worthy of no less than about 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, once properly twin-turboed, as in the 2010 SHO edition.
What is the hot talk right now however, is the upcoming 2.0 liter Eco-Boost, which is slated at 230 horsepower, 240 lb-ft of torque. With half the capacity (liter) of the Mustang’s ancient Cologne, Germany 4.0-liter V-6, the 2.0 not only provides 20 more horsepower (compared to 210), but the exact same about of low end grunt (a.k.a torque).
While some say that the 2.0 would make a suitable economical rival to Chevrolet’s 3.5-liter Camaro V-6, I highly doubt America is ready for another 4-cylinder turbo Mustang just yet. The Mustang is already rumored to be set for a 3.7-liter upgrade. The Fusion is also questionable as to whether or not it could receive the 2.0, as it is already overflowing with engine choices, such as the 2.5-liter I-4, 2.5-liter hybrid (electric/gas), 3.0-liter V-6 FlexFuel, and the 3.5-liter.
The Ford Focus, Fiesta, Edge, and even the Escape/Mariner may see the new 2.0-liter option within the next two years, although the Focus may also be offered with a 1.4-liter Eco-Boost with 130 horsepower. Ultimately, the 2.0-liter Eco-Boost is set to replace the current 3.5-liter V-6 as the base engine for most everything in Ford’s mid-sized lineup.
The focus (the direction, not the car) at Ford continues to be the belief that smaller is better, and the Eco-Boost turbocharging is only the icing on the cake!
