Ford to ditch the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine due to low sales and will switch to Mahindra’s 1.2-litre TGDI engine.
Ford will discontinue the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine from its line-up. It is set to be replaced by Mahindra’s new 1.2-litre TGDI engine. Due to low sales of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. Ford believes that it would not be fruitful to invest in it to upgrade it to BS6 norms. This discontinuation will take place from April 2020.
The EcoBoost engine is currently imported directly. The cost to upgrade it to BS6 norms is an expensive task for the company. The EcoBoost variant of the EcoSport accounts for only 5 percent sales. This is due to the pricing of the variant. It is also due to the engine’s tendency to skimp out on fuel efficiency when you go hard on the gas.
The Ford-Mahindra partnership will see Ford using the Indian manufacturer’s more powerful 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder TGDI engine. This engine is Mahindra’s first direct-injection petrol engine. It features a 250bar fuel-injection rail which helps the engine produce 130 HP and 230 Nm of torque. This engine will power the EcoSport as well as a new compact SUV, codenamed BX744, which is set to come in 2021. This BX744 is set to go up against the Vitara Brezza and the Hyundai Venue.
The TGDI engine from Mahindra will also be offered on the XUV300 alongside the current 1.2-litre MPFI engine that churns out 20 BHP less. The TGDI engine is also expected to be mated to a twin-clutch automatic transmission as well. Mahindra is set to launch the BS6-compliant petrol range around September 2019, whereas the diesel range will be out in the early months of the next year.
Ford 1.0-Litre EcoBoost
– Ford-Mahindra partnership will see Ford use Mahindra’s 1.2-litre TGDI petrol engine
– The sales of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine on the EcoSport is less
– The new TGDI engine will be fitted on the EcoSport as well as the BX744 prototype
Source – AutocarIndia.com