Ford EcoBoost Engine Wins 2012 International Engine Of The Year

Ford’s 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, EcoBoost petrol engine has taken top honours at the 2012 International Engine of the Year awards. The announcement marks the second consecutive year that a small engine has taken the prize, with Fiat’s 0.9 litre TwinAir two-cylinder engine winning in 2011.

The 1.0-litre EcoBoost uses low-inertia turbos to deliver power quickly from low r/min, before spinning up to 248 000 r/min for power at the top of the rev range too. Other highlights of the EcoBoost engine include:It was a comprehensive victory for the smallest of Ford’s EcoBoost engines that combine turbocharging, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing to maintain the performance of bigger engines yet with vastly better fuel efficiency. The three-cylinder unit is one of the smallest engines in the world, with its block covering the size of an A4 piece of paper, and currently features in the European-market Focus hatch, along with the upcoming EcoSport SUV.

• an exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head that lowers the temperature of exhaust gases, thereby enabling the optimum fuel-to-air ratio
• a cast iron engine block that warms the engine faster than a conventional aluminium block to halve the amount of ‘warm-up’ energy required and cut fuel consumption
• oil-immersed drive belts that deliver a quieter, more efficient engine
• the elimination of balancing shafts by deliberately counter-balancing the flywheel and pulley.

The global panel of judges comprising 76 motoring journalists from 35 countries awarded 401 points in total to the Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost (main image being kissed by Ford boss Alan Mulally), well ahead of the second-placed Volkswagen 1.4-litre ‘Twincharger’ with 288 points and Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 (224 points) from the 458 Italia and 458 Spider.

“That the small capacity engines continue to impress the most in overall terms, even against the larger, higher performance engines, says a great deal about how the automotive industry has developed in recent years,” IEotY co-chairman Dean Slavnich said.

Full results from the 2012 International Engine of the Year Awards… (click to expand)

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