Fewer Cylinders For Ford, Audi

Fewer Cylinders For Ford, Audi

At this week’s Frankfurt motor show, if it wasn’t about electric or hybrid drive, the talk there was about internal-combustion engines with more efficiency – and fewer cylinders. The engine-downsizing strategy that has been gaining momentum in the global industry was reinforced in Germany this week, where Ford Motor Co. showed its first-ever 3-cylinder engine and the Volkswagen Group’s Audi upscale division unveiled a high-performance V8 with a cylinder-deactivation system to allow operation a 4-cylinder engine over a wide range.

Ford’s 3-cylinder displaces 1 liter and uses EcoBoost technology that combines turbocharging with gasoline direct injection. When it goes on sale in Europe next year for the Focus compact car, the 1-liter engine will be offered with power ratings of around 100 horsepower and 120 horsepower. The Audi V-8 is a 4-liter, twin-turbocharged configuration that also uses direct fuel injection. The company said output will vary between 420 and 520 horsepower but did not provide detail regarding the expected efficiency improvement compared to the 5-liter V10 the new engine replaces.

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