Originally dubbed “TwinForce” and debuted in the Lincoln MKR concept during last year’s North American International Auto Show, Ford’s direct-injected and twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine has been somewhat of a mystery. While little has changed over the past year, new performance details are now becoming available.
Honeywell—the company that developed the turbos for the first production EcoBoost engine—has announced that the V-6 will produce upwards of 340 lb-ft of torque from 2000 to 5000 rpm. The engine will first see production in the 2010 Lincoln MKS and eventually find its way under the hood of the F-150, new unibody Explorer, and new Mustang. The usual claims of V-8 performance with V-6 consumption apply, but EPA fuel-economy ratings are not yet available. We suspect the world will be waiting for these figures before any Nobel Prizes are awarded.
As people continue to look for fuel-sipping solutions that don’t sacrifice performance, Honeywell is expecting turbocharged engines to gain an additional eight percent of the world market share by 2013. Smaller EcoBoost four-cylinders are expected to make it into the Ford Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta by 2020. Ford follows GM, BMW, and Volkswagen in the move to direct-injection turbos.
