The 2011 Ford Edge will bring the first applications of an I-4 EcoBoost engine and the MyFord system.
Ford Motor Co. will reveal the first four-cylinder application of its mileage-minded EcoBoost engine at the Chicago Auto Show, this month, under the hood of a heavily updated Edge crossover-utility vehicle.
The Ecoboost is part of Ford’s aggressive campaign to bill itself as a green-minded manufacturer, but unlike the hybrids and battery technology that’s become a central part of its competitors’ strategy, EcoBoost relies on a few tricks to deliver a mix of performance and fuel economy from otherwise conventional gasoline technology.
The 6-cylinder version of EcoBoost is already in use in a number of Ford vehicles, including the Flex “people mover,” the 2010 Taurus SHO performance sedan and the new flagship for the Lincoln brand, the MKS. The smaller, inline-four cylinder application will hit market in the next-generation Edge CUV and is expected to find a place in a variety of other small Ford products, such as the redesigned Focus.
Eventually, the various versions of EcoBoost will be offered in more than 80% of Ford’s U.S. line-up, said Derrick Kuzak, the automaker’s global product development chief, from its smallest passenger cars up to big trucks like the F-150 pickup.
EcoBoost technology relies on direct injection, turbocharging and other technical wizardry – similar to what has been used in the latest diesel engines – to deliver what had long seemed impossible: better mileage, improved performance and lower emissions.
Though smaller than the 2.5-liter engine in the compact Escape, the Edge’s new 2.0 liter EcoBoost I-4 is expected to deliver the performance of Ford’s bigger 3.0-liter V-6. The turbocharged engine also should deliver roughly the same performance, in the 200+ horsepower range, though mileage is likely to nip 30 mpg or better on the Highway.
The update of the Edge, which debuted in the 2007 model-year, has a number of significant updates, reports the Detroit News, notably to the front fenders, hood and grille, as well as the interior, which will bring the first application of the automaker’s new MyFord system. Built around the company’s Sync infotainment technology, MyFord replaces conventional knobs and buttons with touch-sensitive controls and a large computerized display. Among other things, it will allow users to access a variety of cellphone “apps,” including Twitter and the Pandora Internet radio service.
Edge is now the best-selling model in the mid-size crossover segment.