Ford’s powerful, fuel-efficient and versatile 1.0‑litre EcoBoost engine has today been named 2019 International Engine and Powertrain of the Year (IEPOTY) in the Sub-150 PS category – the 11th IEPOTY award earned by the engine since its launch in 2012.
Delivering up to 140 PS power for a responsive and rewarding driving experience, the compact, low-friction engine powered more than 1 in 4 Ford models sold in 2018 – more than 410,000 vehicles – from the Fiesta hatchback family car to the Transit Connect van.
Ford recently enhanced the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine offered for the Ford Focus and Transit Connect to deliver even greater fuel efficiency with technologies including an industry-first cylinder deactivation system for a three-cylinder engine.
Significant enhancements to the cylinder head, fuel injection and emission-control systems also complement the core EcoBoost turbocharging, high-pressure direct fuel injection and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing technologies. The enhanced engine will be introduced to further models this year.
“The 1.0-litre EcoBoost continues to set new benchmarks for compact petrol engines, even seven years and 11 awards after its first International Engine and Powertrain of the Year victory,” said Carsten Weber, manager, Research & Advanced Powertrain Engineering, Ford of Europe. “Even with 1.6 million 1.0-litre EcoBoost engines already on the road we’re still uncovering its potential. New, even more fuel-efficient electrified powertrains with 1.0-litre EcoBoost at their core are hitting the road soon.”
An IEPOTY panel of 70 judges from 31 countries awarded Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost a total of 145 points to win the Sub-150 PS category by 26 points, ahead of powertrains from BMW, PSA Group, Toyota/Lexus, and Volkswagen.
Following its introduction, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost kick-started an industry trend for small capacity, high output, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engines.
“Since winning in 2012, this little jewel has stood the test of time, with most other manufacturers still playing catch-up,” said Nicol Louw, Car South Africa and member of the IEPOTY judging panel.
Ford earlier this year announced that the highly acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine will provide the basis for the powerful and responsive mild-hybrid powertrains in the new Fiesta EcoBoost Hybrid and Focus EcoBoost Hybrid models – further enhancing fuel efficiency while complementing Ford’s fun to drive experience.
For these sophisticated electrified powertrains, a belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG) replaces the standard alternator, enabling recovery and storage of energy usually lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48-volt battery pack.
The BISG also acts as a motor, seamlessly integrating with the engine and using the stored energy to provide torque assistance – reducing the amount of work required from the petrol engine to maximise fuel savings. In addition, the BISG helps deliver punchier performance, particularly at lower engine speeds, for a more flexible and connected driving experience. By mitigating turbo-lag, the BISG has enabled Ford engineers to boost the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine’s power to up to 155 PS using a larger turbocharger.
The versatile 1.0-litre EcoBoost will also support the first-in-class Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid van and Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid people-mover to deliver pure-electric driving capability without range anxiety.
The Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid is currently being trialled to better understand the benefits for the environment and for customers in London, U.K., with further trials soon to begin in Valencia, Spain, and Cologne, Germany.
The full list of Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost IEPOTY awards is:
- Overall winner: 2012, 2013 and 2014
- Best new engine: 2012
- Best engine under 1.0-litre: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
- Sub-150 PS category winner: 2019
# # #
- Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost CO2 emissions from 105-109 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 4.6-4.8 l/100 km
- Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost CO2 emissions from 107-110 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 4.7-4.9 l/100 km
- Transit Connect 1.0-litre EcoBoost CO2 emissions from 146 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 6.4 l/100 km
- Fiesta EcoBoost Hybrid anticipated CO2 emissions from 112 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 4.9 l/100 km
- Focus EcoBoost Hybrid anticipated CO2 emissions from 106 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 4.7 l/100 km
- Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid anticipated CO2 emissions from 75 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 3.3 l/100 km
- Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid anticipated CO2 emissions from 75 g/km, fuel-efficiency from 3.3 l/100 km
