Ford has debuted its 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham.
The unit, dubbed ‘a game changer’ is the first of a new range of diesel powertrains from Ford promising major gains in fuel efficiency, performance and refinement, together with significant reductions in CO2 and NOX emissions.
In creating the new engine the designers started with a clean-sheet design, using the technology gains made in the development of the EcoBoost petrol engine range.
While revealed at the CV Show in new Transit and Transit Custom van models, the new diesels will in future be offered across Ford’s car and commercial line-up, and in a range of power outputs from 99 to 237bhp.
Technology incorporated into the new units incudes methods to reduce friction, an offset crank, belt-in-oil and the first use by Ford of modular crankshafts, all of which contribute to a 13 per cent improvement in fuel economy.
A ‘mirror image’ inlet manifold and low-inertia turbocharger increase low-end torque by more than 20 per cent compared to the 2.2-litre TDCi diesel that the new unit replaces.
Improvements to the after-treatment process for the engine exhaust cuts NOx production and optimising the structure of the engine removes four decibels’ worth of noise at idle.
According to Ford of Europe chairman and CEO Jim Farley the EcoBlue engine is the result of the same obsession to innovate for the customer that created the smaller, more efficient with surprising performance EcoBoost petrol range.
“This new engine lifts fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 by more than 10% in Transit, part of Europe’s best-selling commercial vehicle line-up, lowering costs for our customers,” he says.
The new EcoBlue engines will initially be offered as 2.0-litre units in Ford commercial vehicles, with power outputs of 104, 128 and 167bhp. Later they will be expanded into the car range and new EcoBlue units, including a 1.5-litre version, introduced.
Photo: Andrew Charman
