06/06/2013 16:03
Ford has won the 2013 International Engine of the Year award, presented by Engine Technology International magazine, for its 1.0-litre EcoBoost unit for the second successive year.
Designed and engineered in the UK, the three-cylinder engine boasts direct fuel injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing, which lowers fuel consumption while maintaining power.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost received the highest score in the history of the awards, also taking the Best Engine Under 1.0-litre category.
Thanks to its popularity, Ford intends to double production of the engine to 1,000 a day from mid-August.
"With a technology as mature as the internal combustion engine, it's very rare to achieve a true breakthrough, but that is exactly what the team accomplished with this engine," said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president, Global Powertrain.
"You have to drive it to believe a small three-cylinder engine can deliver such performance and fuel economy."
In order to make the most of the engines, Ford of Europe is to triple the production of the vehicles equipped with the EcoBoost units, reaching 480,000 by 2015.
Posted by Craig Salter