Ford plans to offer a four-cylinder option in all of its cars
Four cylinder engines have pretty much taken on the role of the best compromise between fuel efficiency and power, and recent advances in technology have allowed automakers to extract more and more power from smaller packages. Recognizing this fact, Ford has said that it will equip each of its cars and crossovers with at least one four cylinder engine option moving forward. Expect many of these units to boast EcoBoost technology, which pairs forced induction with direct injection to offer lots of power while using as little fuel as possible. Buyers accustomed to V8 engines of 5 liters or more in fullsize pickup trucks may be surprised to hear that much smaller displacement four cylinder engines could even make an appearance in the F-150. Fear not, heavy haulers and power junkies. We're sure Ford will continue to offer V8 engines in its trucks and Mustangs, but it's nice to hear that more efficient options may soon be available for those without such heavy duty requirements.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EV-1 8:20PM (2/16/2009)
Hail hail to progress !
Praised be advances in new technology !
Stupidity can not be prosecuted...
Can stupidity be prosecuted ?
Stupidity ought to be prosecuted !
Ignorance stand as THE WORST THING in universe, next after pure evil...
The environment IS NOT YOURS !
I don't give a shit how much more money than me you've got - it's
STILL N-O-T yours ! It's MINE !!!
Reply
EV-1 8:32PM (2/16/2009)
... and I don't give a shit how bad Ford (or any carmakers) wants to make money
- it's STILL NOT YOUR ENVIRONMENT !
C.W. 8:20AM (2/17/2009)
hippie tree hugger.
haha.
AH 9:59PM (2/16/2009)
Yaaaawn..... they call this progress? Let's offer 4 bangers in every car we sell...
how about bringing your euro and asian models to the US instead of greenwashing your existing product lines? Stomach the cost of re-engineering them for safety and emissions. Who the hell is going to buy a 4 banger F-150? How do these businesses manage to keep on going?
A better option would be to offer TDI-equivalents in core sedan markets, that way there is actually a substantial benefit to the environmental performance of the vehicles.
Also, can you say biodiesel? ;)
Reply
TheUkrainian 6:51AM (2/17/2009)
Ford is bringing the Euro lineup over here. The 2010-2011/12 model year cars show both American and Euro styling cues, which is the crossover point. The next gen Focus will be a Euro design as well as the the 2nd generation Fusion. The Taurus is a different story, since the Fusion is pretty much full size in Europe, but I think it looks a lot nicer than any previous Taurus.
As far as dropping in a Turbo4 into the F-150, I think it's a great idea. I had an old V6 F-150 and I would've made due with a 4cyl. (A ranger wouldn't of worked either, I needed a big bed and it was a supercab, with real seats, not jumpseats). I'm still hoping Ford revives plans for a F-100 or a overseas Ranger replacement.
Although I also would love to see diesel powered Ford cars, I don't think its feasible/profitable for Ford. The amount of people that want to buy diesel powered cars is tiny compared to the amount of people that still think diesel is loud, dirty, etc.
Brn 11:02AM (2/17/2009)
"how about bringing your euro and asian models to the US instead of greenwashing your existing product lines? "
You mean like the poor-selling, mediocre-mpg Astra? It's a big hit in Europe after all.
These Euro vehicles aren't everything people would like to believe they are.
Cellien 10:55PM (2/16/2009)
This is great news. I own an 08 5" lifted 2.3L Ranger that can get 28 mpg. It's great to think in a few years I could upgrade to a fullsize and not sacrifice fuel economy. Or, even better they may offer an even more powerful/efficient 4 cylinder in a new Ranger or new small truck. 4 cyl Mustang is extremely tempting to me. I love the retro/muscle look but I would feel guilty driving a v8 or even v6 just for my selfish reasons. Offering a 4 cyl is music to my ears (but definitely not the rumble of a v8 :( but that's ok!)
Reply
Yikes 9:33AM (2/17/2009)
I don't see this as a big advantage.
When I look at the MPG from current 4 cylinder turbos, I don't see great mileage. Seems to me that most drink gas like larger motors with more cylinders.
Example,
Rav4 with the V6
compared to
Mazda CX7 with the turbo4
Cellien 10:32AM (2/17/2009)
Well, I'll raise your one example with my one example. Ranger's with the 2.3L and 5 speed can get upwards of 30+ mpg (some are getting well above that with hypermilling and living in area where you don't have to blast a/c in the 35-38mpg range) and the Tacoma, Frontier, Dakotas, Colorado, and Ranger V6s can barely touch 20 mpg. (I had a 06 Frontier v6, so talking from experience as well as available info. I could never get over 19.8 mpg on a tank even driving like a grandma.)
Brn 12:00PM (2/17/2009)
Yikes, you point is understood, but.... :)
The Mazda turbo 4's are generally disappointing in terms of fuel efficiency. Also, the CX7 is a larger vehicle than the RAV4.
Ford promises that their ecoboost engines are going to deliver significantly improved fuel efficiency over products like the Mazda turbos (I know, same company). I guess it really depends on if the new Ford engines will do what Ford claims they will.
Personally, I like what Ford is doing with non-turbo engines. The 2.5L would do very nicely in a Ranger.
Yikes 2:54PM (2/17/2009)
The CX-7 is much SMALLER than the Rav4.
Brn 5:15PM (2/17/2009)
Yikes, I think we're pretty close on the primary point of your discussion, so this is just for a little clarification.
Looking at the specs for the 2009 Rav4 (V6) and 2009 CX7, the CX7 is longer, wider, and weighs more. There are other dimensions / capacities in which the Rav4 is larger, but I was paying attention to the ones that are likely to directly affect performance and mpg.