Ford's EcoBoost V6 Engine Undergoes Boot Camp Tests

Ford's EcoBoost V6 engine is said to incorporate the best possible technology produced by Ford to boost fuel economy without neglecting power. Because of that, the upcoming 2010 Lincoln MKS and MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus SHO are going to be leaders in their classes when it comes to fuel efficiency, Ford says, citing the twin-turbocharged, direct-injection 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine as the main reason.

In order to prove the EcoBoost abilities, Ford today announced that its new fuel efficient engine undergoes a series of tests at the the company's engine "boot camp".

Basically, the test consists of 20 individual dynamometer-level sessions that bring the engine to its limits in order to determine the full specification list as well as the maximum engine speeds and loads, coolant and oil temperature and customer driving patterns. For instance, the EcoBoost technology is subjected to 1,000 cold starts, at different temperature levels.

"In total, this single test required 1,000 hours of extreme engine operation, representing more than 60,000 miles of customer driving," Ford explains.

"EcoBoost is undergoing extensive durability and reliability tests," said Brett Hinds, Ford's Advanced Engine Design and Development manager. "The performance we are seeing shows that the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine is a high-quality, top-performing engine that meets or exceeds all our reliability targets."

EcoBoost is going to be first introduced on the 2010 Ford Flex which boasts a fuel consumption rating of 22 mpg in highway mode. The 2010 Lincoln MKT "leads its segment in fuel economy," Ford said in a statement, as it exceeds Audi Q7 V8 by 4 mpg in highway conditions.

And the best of all, the new Lincoln MKS will deliver more power combined with better fuel efficiency by most of its rivals, including 2009 Lexus GS460 (24 mpg) or 2009 Infiniti M45x (20 mpg).