Frankfurt Auto Show: Ford I4 EcoBoost Petrol Engines

The European division of American manufacturer, Ford, has unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show its future range of EcoBoost engines, to come into production starting with 2010. The new range is made up of four-cylinder petrol engines, with, so far, two displacements: 1.6l and 2.0l. The 1.6l unit will go into the new Ford C-Max, while the bigger one is meant for the company's larger cars.

Both are built from aluminum, with sixteen-valve DOHC cylinder heads featuring twin independent variable cam timing. The key element of the engine is the high-pressure direct injection system which injects fuel in cooler, denser charges.

The new engines promise to become a key element for the 2010 engine range. Both feature petrol injection, turbocharging and twin variable valve timing. This means, of course, a reduction of 20 percent in both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, when compared to engines with similar outputs.

So far, no specific details on the new units have been made available, yet Ford did say the 1.6l unit develops in the 150-180 PS range, while the 2.0l one outputs 200 PS and above. The American manufacturer says a smaller capacity unit will be added to the range in the near future, with total outputs in the sub-130 PS range.

"We believe that these engines will provide customers with a genuinely attractive alternative to diesel or hybrid power units, delivering highly competitive fuel economy and cost-of-ownership, along with the responsive performance and wide rev range which have made petrol engines the favored choice for so many drivers," John Fleming, Ford Europe CEO said at the release.

The engines will enter production at the Valencia Engine Plant in Spain (2.0l engine) andat the Bridgend Engine Plant in the UK (1.6l engine).