In the car world, engine size matters. It used to be the bigger the engine the more appeal it had (more power, and more vrooom!).
But now Ford is going small by announcing the "the smallest engine Ford has ever built."
Ford says the fuel-efficient 1.0-liter engine is a "three cylinder engine that delivers the same performance as a four-cylinder."
Ford says the engine is still being tweaked and is not in cars yet.
Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development, said the company has "made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies" in the last five years.
From the company's press release:
The new three-cylinder engine will be available globally in the company’s small cars. It will also play an important role in North America... Final calibrations of the new EcoBoost 1.0-liter are under way. Kuzak said the new engine will deliver horsepower and torque outputs equivalent to or better than most normally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engines. “The 1.0-liter engine is a little dynamo,” Kuzak said.
The Detroit Free Press reports that there's currently only one car sold in the U.S. that runs on three cylinders and also has a 1.0-liter engine - the Smart Fortwo.
