No matter how you slice it, Ford’s 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is a winner. It has received the International Engine of the Year award twice (2012 and 2013), and it is slowly making its way to Ford’s product offerings all over the world. Just last year, for instance, The Blue Oval launched the engine in the United States by making it an option on the refreshed 2014 Fiesta — where it is rated at a whopping 45 MPG highway. And although the small mill has been available (also as an option) on the current Focus in Europe , it will only make its way to North America later this year starting with the refreshed 2015 Focus. But how well is the 1.0L three-banger selling in those markets where it has already been available? Apparently, quite well.
The mill is already available on five nameplates in Europe, and it has so far this year been purchased in 32 percent of Focus sales and 26 percent of Fiesta sales, according to sales data from Ford. In fact, European demand for the engine has prompted The Blue Oval to double production capacity at its manufacturing plant in Cologne, Germany to more than 1,000 units a day.
We’re really interested to see if the fuel-efficient yet power-dense engine enjoys a similar success in the U.S. market. Only time will tell if that’s feasible.
No Comments yet