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Ford is persevering with its in-line six-cylinder engine until 2013. But what does that mean for its LPG, V8 and turbo variants.
Ford’s decision to continue with an in-line six-cylinder engine in the Falcon and Territory is good news for fans of the company’s LPG and turbo-charged variants.
The move to a globally-sourced V6 would have spelled the end of the well-regarded 270kW turbo engine. It was due to be replaced with a direct-injection, twin-turbo version of the V6, while the LPG engine was also facing an uncertain future.
Ford has previously baulked at upgrading its LPG engine to meet Euro IV emissions standards, which meant the engine couldn’t survive after January 1, 2010, when Euro IV becomes mandatory for all new cars.
But now, aided by money from the Government’s Green fund for the car industry, Ford is likely to investigate ways to make the LPG engine perform better and use less fuel.
The current engine uses an old carburettor-style fuel system which is inefficient and cancels out some of the advantages of buying an LPG engine. The fuel may be cheaper, but the LPG Falcon uses much more of it – 14.9 litres per 100km versus 11.5 for the petrol version.
The engine is also significantly down on power on the petrol in-line six, putting out 156kW compared with 195kW.
By switching to a more modern liquid injection LPG system, Ford could make the LPG Falcon a much more attractive option to private buyers.
But today’s announcement raises questions about Ford’s plans to introduce a diesel V6 engine into the Ford Territory and possibly the Falcon ute and sedan.
When it made its initial decision to dump the in-line six in July last year, Ford said the new V6 would allow it to “achieve production efficiencies and access global economies of scale”.
In its official statement, the company said: “The improved economies of scale resulting from the globally-sourced engine will offer increased flexibility to potentially incorporate future alternative fuel strategies, particularly diesel technology.”
Ford yesterday claimed the diesel option was still on the drawing board, despite the complications of fitting a V6 diesel into an in-line six engine bay.
“This announcement is about the in-line six engine only. We have a number of different announcements about alternative powertrains over the coming months,” spokeswoman Sinead McAlary said.
“We have been pretty clear that we are still working on plans for a diesel engine,” she said.
But the move raises questions about the global competitiveness of the Falcon and Territory engines going forward.
At the time of the initial V6 announcement, then Ford Australia president Tom Gorman told media: "… it is imperative that we improve our ability to respond to the increasing consumer desire for alternative fuels, improved performance, and better fuel economy while spreading the investment required across a broader base of vehicles. Importing the new engine from 2010 will allow us to achieve these goals."
The V6 was to be sourced from high volume US engine facilities that are expected to produce about one million engines per year by 2011. In contrast, Ford Australia's engine operation currently produces 70,000 engines each year.
The theory behind the switch was that new engines require huge investments to keep them globally competitive. With the V6, that investment could be re-couped through one million engine sales, where the I6 investment would have to be smaller because the final production run was so much smaller.
It remains to be seen how much Ford will be able to invest in the in-line six to keep it competitive between now and 2013.
And the fate of Ford’s V8 engine appears shakier by the minute. While Ford may be able to get the Government to provide funds to make the six-cylinder engine and LPG variant more efficient, they’re hardly likely to have much joy raising development funds for a V8 engine that is already outperformed by its more economical turbo six stablemate.
Ford’s decision to continue with an in-line six-cylinder engine in the Falcon and Territory is good news for fans of the company’s LPG and turbo-charged variants.
The move to a globally-sourced V6 would have spelled the end of the well-regarded 270kW turbo engine. It was due to be replaced with a direct-injection, twin-turbo version of the V6, while the LPG engine was also facing an uncertain future.
Ford has previously baulked at upgrading its LPG engine to meet Euro IV emissions standards, which meant the engine couldn’t survive after January 1, 2010, when Euro IV becomes mandatory for all new cars.
But now, aided by money from the Government’s Green fund for the car industry, Ford is likely to investigate ways to make the LPG engine perform better and use less fuel.
The current engine uses an old carburettor-style fuel system which is inefficient and cancels out some of the advantages of buying an LPG engine. The fuel may be cheaper, but the LPG Falcon uses much more of it – 14.9 litres per 100km versus 11.5 for the petrol version.
The engine is also significantly down on power on the petrol in-line six, putting out 156kW compared with 195kW.
By switching to a more modern liquid injection LPG system, Ford could make the LPG Falcon a much more attractive option to private buyers.
But today’s announcement raises questions about Ford’s plans to introduce a diesel V6 engine into the Ford Territory and possibly the Falcon ute and sedan.
When it made its initial decision to dump the in-line six in July last year, Ford said the new V6 would allow it to “achieve production efficiencies and access global economies of scale”.
In its official statement, the company said: “The improved economies of scale resulting from the globally-sourced engine will offer increased flexibility to potentially incorporate future alternative fuel strategies, particularly diesel technology.”
Ford yesterday claimed the diesel option was still on the drawing board, despite the complications of fitting a V6 diesel into an in-line six engine bay.
“This announcement is about the in-line six engine only. We have a number of different announcements about alternative powertrains over the coming months,” spokeswoman Sinead McAlary said.
“We have been pretty clear that we are still working on plans for a diesel engine,” she said.
But the move raises questions about the global competitiveness of the Falcon and Territory engines going forward.
At the time of the initial V6 announcement, then Ford Australia president Tom Gorman told media: "… it is imperative that we improve our ability to respond to the increasing consumer desire for alternative fuels, improved performance, and better fuel economy while spreading the investment required across a broader base of vehicles. Importing the new engine from 2010 will allow us to achieve these goals."
The V6 was to be sourced from high volume US engine facilities that are expected to produce about one million engines per year by 2011. In contrast, Ford Australia's engine operation currently produces 70,000 engines each year.
The theory behind the switch was that new engines require huge investments to keep them globally competitive. With the V6, that investment could be re-couped through one million engine sales, where the I6 investment would have to be smaller because the final production run was so much smaller.
It remains to be seen how much Ford will be able to invest in the in-line six to keep it competitive between now and 2013.
And the fate of Ford’s V8 engine appears shakier by the minute. While Ford may be able to get the Government to provide funds to make the six-cylinder engine and LPG variant more efficient, they’re hardly likely to have much joy raising development funds for a V8 engine that is already outperformed by its more economical turbo six stablemate.
:fu: cause I dont own one. :mooning:
:fing:
