FORD'S 1.0-LITRE ECOBOOST TECHNOLOGY

Having spent a year with Ford's innovative 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine in our long term Focus, we were left impressed with the technology it represented. And wondering how it all worked. Steve Ghosley decided to investigate.

Applying basic motoring logic, a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine in a family hatch as large as a Ford Focus is not going to offer much of a spirited drive. Yes, it'll be clean and economical - but probably not a lot else. Ford's UK engineers at Dunton and Dagenham however, had other ideas and the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol unit they've designed for a number of the company's compact models has been a revelation in the motor industry.

So how have they done it? Well, their objectives was to create a petrol engine that produced similar power to that of a 1.6-litre diesel yet also delivered class leading fuel economy and very low CO2 emissions. These characteristics are much sought after by the car buying public, especially in Europe where governments are putting increasing pressure on manufacturers to produce cleaner and more efficient powerplants.

With that in mind, a decision was taken to develop a 3-cylinder unit with a 1,000cc displacement. The advantages of this size and configuration of engine are that it is smaller than the traditional 4-cylinder unit and consequently much lighter - some 30 kilos lighter. With fewer moving parts, it is also has less friction to overcome than a 4-cylinder powerplant.

On the debit side however, a 3-cylinder unit is prone to poor refinement as it tends to vibrate around the middle piston which can make for a less than smooth operational performance. In addition, 3-cylinder petrol engines have never been renowned for their power and up until recently, have only been considered for use in small vehicles like microcars and citycars.

Faced with these...