MANILA, Philippines - The new Ford Fiesta is set to redefine the small car segment yet again, offering customers the latest technology and safety features in an even more fuel-efficient package. Marking its official debut in the Philippines today at the 2013 Auto Focus Motor Show at the SM Mall of Asia, the new Ford Fiesta now comes equipped with the company’s multi-award-winning 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
The new 5-door Ford Fiesta Sport+ with the 1.0L EcoBoost engine will be available at Ford showrooms nationwide starting next month at P898,000. It comes in six colors: Arctic White, Black Mica, Highlight Silver, Chili Orange, Phantom Purple and Celestial Blue.
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Since its launch last July, the new Fiesta has continued to impress with its exciting new bold design, segment-leading fuel economy, class-leading safety features and all-new smart technologies.
The smallest engine in its class, Ford’s patented three-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be big on power, torque and refinement. Producing 125 ps of power and peak torque of 170 Nm, the quiet and smooth-running engine will deliver power and engine performance that rivals a traditional 1.6-liter petrol engine. With 25 percent fewer moving parts, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost is able to deliver higher fuel economy and lower emissions.
“The new Ford Fiesta continues to raise the bar for small cars in the Philippines. With the introduction of our latest 1.0L EcoBoost engine, we offer customers great fuel economy without sacrificing power and torqueâ€, says Kay Hart, managing director, Ford Philippines.
Tiny enough to fit on a sheet of A4 paper or stow away in an airplane overhead luggage compartment, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is the baby in Ford’s growing global family of EcoBoost engines which includes 1.6- and 2.0-liter four-cylinders, and two 3.5-liter V6 variants.
The little engine that can
The 1.0-liter EcoBoost is unlike any engine in Ford’s history spanning more than a century. Not only is it the company’s first three-cylinder engine but it also has the highest power density of any Ford production engine.
Typical three-cylinder engines are inherently off-balance and out of sync, causing unpleasant vibrations. More than 200 engineers at Ford’s technical centers in Dunton, U.K., and Merkenich, Germany worked their magic to transform the unloved three-cylinder into the smooth and refined 1.0-liter Ford EcoBoost.
The traditional solution to reducing shaking forces in small-displacement engines is to install a counter-rotating balance shaft inside the motor that cancels out most vibrations. But that adds to weight, cost, and reduces fuel economy.
The engineers came up with a smart alternative. They deliberately unbalanced the pulley and flywheel with weights placed precisely to counteract the natural shaking forces of the engine and drive the energy in a less sensitive direction. The engine mounts are also designed to decouple as well as absorb the engine’s shaking forces.
The 1.0-liter EcoBoost also debuts many technologies never before seen in a Ford vehicle. The super-small and extremely responsive turbocharger delivers power quickly when the throttle is open from low rpm. The turbocharger’s ability to quickly reach a dizzying 248,000rpm results in virtually no turbo lag, making the new Fiesta quick and fun to drive.
The exhaust manifold is cast into the cylinder head so the exhaust gases can be water-cooled to enable optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band. The unique cast-iron block warms the engine quicker than a conventional aluminum block, cutting the amount of “warm-up†energy required by 50 percent and increasing fuel economy.
The “split-cooling†system that has separate thermostats for the cylinder head and block allow quick warm-up. Two main engine drive belts are immersed in oil to deliver a quieter, more efficient engine while the variable oil pump ensures optimal oil pressure across the full speed range.
Lauded around the world
The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine has been pulling in many prestigious global awards. It was recently voted as the International Engine of The Year by a jury of 87 journalists from 35 countries, winning by the largest voting margin in the award’s history for two consecutive years.
It went on to bag a Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanic’s magazine in the U.S., the prominent Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club in Great Britain, and the esteemed International Paul Pietsch Award 2013 for technological innovation in Germany. The 1.0-liter EcoBoost has also proven that small does not mean slow. Last June, it set 16 land speed records at a racetrack in France.
Last September, a unique Formula One Ford race car powered by the tiny but feisty 1.0-liter EcoBoost produced a supercar-beating performance at the legendary Nürburgring track in Germany. It recorded the 11th fastest lap ever at 7 minutes, 22 seconds—higher on the list than 600+ horsepower supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari Enzo and the Pagani Zonda.
“The 1.0-liter EcoBoost indeed packs a big punch, proving that size does not matter with this multi-awarded engine,†said Hart. “The new Fiesta with 1.0L EcoBoost delivers what customers truly want – a vehicle with no compromise.â€
EcoBoost is the latest in Ford’s green technology commitment, which balances capability with environmental responsibility with an estimated fuel economy improvement by more than 20 percent and 15 percent less carbon dioxide emissions.