Ford's EcoBoost Technology
At the Detroit Auto Show in 2008, the Ford Motor Company said that they would start to implement their new EcoBoost line of engines into the company’s vehicles within two years. Well, the time is almost upon us, as the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS will both be outfitted with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and they will hit dealer showrooms within the next few months. Ford recently released some hard facts about the EcoBoost engines, and the numbers indicate that the EcoBoost engine could be the key to Ford’s future gasoline-powered vehicles.
The choice to place the EcoBoost engine in the Flex and the MKS was a smart one by Ford. The crossover wagon and luxury sedan, respoectively, both require ample amounts of power to be a compelling choice for consumers. A crossover without enough power won’t be able to handle the weight, and a luxury sedan without any acceleration isn’t that much of a luxury. The comparison graph between the Lincoln MKS and other luxury vehicles is compelling proof:
You read that right. The V6 EcoBoost-equipped Lincoln MKS scores better in horsepower and mpg than any of the other V8 luxury sedans. Also, the torque output of the EcoBoost V6 may be even more impressive. Rather than a steady climb in output followed by a steady decline (as is the case with most V6 and V8 engines), the EcoBoost cranks out 350 lb-ft of torqueat a mere 1500 RPM and keeps that output steady all the way up to 5,500 RPM, where it begins to fade a bit.
Going by the numbers, the EcoBoost seems like a hands-down winner. As far as pricing goes, the 2009 EcoBoost-equipped Lincoln MKS sells for almost the same price as the previous years model (the Ford Flex is a new model, so there is no previous price reference point). The only thing that remains to be determined is how well the engines drive. Judging by the torque curves and other hard data, the cars using the engine will be powerful and swift, but its hard to make a firm determination based solely on numbers. Ford seems confident in their EcoBoost program, however, as they have a four-cylinder version set for introduction to the Ford Focus for the UK market and eventual introduction to North America.The New Kids full
May 18th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
[...] mpg city and 18-20 highway, the 2010 MKT with the EcoBoost engine gets 17 city / 24 highway. We already looked at the specifics of how the EcoBoost engines work, and how their power output matches or exceeds [...]