Ford’s new 3-cylinder engine increases fuel efficiency and power

New York Times : Beginning with its 2014 model Fiesta, Ford will be replacing the vehicle’s 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharged, 1-liter, 3-cylinder engine. Weighing in at just 52 lbs (23.6 kg), the engine produces 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, giving it the highest power output per displacement of any engine made by the company. Ford has also addressed some of the concern over buzzing and vibrations that surround the use of 3-cylinder engines in cars. Vertical shaking is more noticeable in engines with fewer cylinders because there is less weight in the engine itself to damp the vibrations. The shaking and resulting buzzing has been reduced by using an unbalanced flywheel and a pulley at opposite ends of the crankshaft. Perhaps more surprising than the use of the 1-liter engine in the 2600 lb Fiesta is that Ford will also be introducing the engine to Europe in the 3350 lb Mondeo (the European version of the Fusion). The company says that the engine will still be effective in the larger vehicle because it produces 90% of its torque at only 1500 rpm. This engine downsizing follows the industry’s trend of switching out 6-cylinder engines for turbocharged 4-cylinder engines in an effort to reach higher fuel efficiencies.