Ford India unveils new three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine, to debut with new EcoSport

Ford India today introduced an all-new three-cylinder 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine at their Sanand facility in Gujarat. This naturally-aspirated engine will debut with the new EcoSport later this year.

The newly-developed 1,497cc engine produces 120bhp at 6,500rpm and a max torque of 150Nm at 4,500rpm. This is 10bhp and 10Nm more than the four-cylinder counterpart. The naturally aspirated engine can be mated to a five-speed manual or a six speed automatic transmission. The new powertrain is lighter, smaller and more efficient compared to the older four-cylinder 1.5-litre unit. The power output is improved by 10 per cent, while the torque is increased by seven per cent over the existing four-cylinder Ti-VCT engine.

The engine employs an all-aluminium block with an integrated exhaust manifold. The American manufacturer boasts that this reduces the overall dimensions and the NVH level of the engine. The integrated manifold also helps to heat up the catalyst quicker thus decreasing emissions. The timing belt is oil-dipped for reduced wear and tear.

Other novelties of the new engine include an offset crankshaft (by 10mm) which reduces friction, thus improving efficiency, according to the Blue Oval. There is a coil-on-plug system which means each cylinder gets an individual ignition coil. There are hydrodynamic bearings to eliminate the first-order vibrations usually related to the three-cylinder engines. There is an additional balancing shaft in order to compensate for the loss of one cylinder.

The all-new three-cylinder 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine is internally called as Dragon engine. It will be manufactured at the Sanand facility for international exports as well as domestic consumption.