In that same 2008 press release, Ford claimed that its first EcoBoost engine — a V-6 turbocharged 3.5L that was first rolled out in the Lincoln MKS — would offer “an approximate 2 mpg improvement and emit … up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions to the environment.” In addition to a claimed 20% increase in fuel economy, Ford promised a lot with the EcoBoost family.
As the line developed, the hope was to convert these advantages into even smaller packages. The diminutive EcoBoost 1.0L, in fact, made its debut at the Beijing Auto Show back in 2010. The engine implemented the Ti-VCT, turbocharge, and other boons of EcoBoost into Ford’s dinkiest engine, and it was a bold move. This ambitious little engine, sadly, proved to be quite the liability in some instances — and potentially very dangerous.
This isn’t to say that the EcoBoost 1.0L wasn’t a successful engine. In May 2019, its International Engine and Powertrain of the Year (Sub-150 PS category) award was the 11th such accolade the EcoBoost engines acquired in its seven years on the market. The awards’ co-chairman, Dean Slavnich, went as far as to deem the engine “one of the finest examples of powertrain engineering,” after it scooped the award three years running.
Practicality and performance at a 1.6L level is impressive indeed, but it took a dangerous toll in some cases.
