Ford has developed a 1.0-litre Ecoboost three-cylinder engine for use in its small car line-up.
The manufacturer says the engine, which was designed in Dunton, Essex, is the smallest it has ever built. It extends the Ecoboost family from 1.0 to 3.5-litres.
The Blue Oval has also confirmed that its next generation of hybrid vehicles, including the 2013 C-Max, will have Ford-designed, engineered and built transmission.
The brand says the two initiatives will further strengthen its range of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice-president of Global Product Development, said: “In the last five years we have made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies. Today we have the freshest powertrain line-up in the industry.”
Ford has already earmarked the new 1.0-litre Ecoboost unit for the B-Max, which comes to the UK next year, and says it will roll out the engine to other small cars worldwide.
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