2014 Fiesta to Get 3-Cylinder Engine as Ford Mulls Diesels for Focus

Due for a refresh in 2014, Ford’s sub-compact Fiesta is set to get a new ultra-efficient gasoline engine that will deliver fuel economy better than many hybrids.

That new engine is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost powerplan, using both turbocharging and direct-injection to make 123-hp and as much as 49-mpg. AutoGuide recently had a chance to test drive the engine, but in the larger and heavier Focus platform and we came away impressed. We called it “responsive, peppy even,” though criticisms include it feeling and sounding like a diesel. Still, if it can deliver that fuel economy and performance in the Focus, it should be even better in the tiny Fiesta.

Using EcoBoost technology to deliver maximum fuel economy, Ford is also preparing to use it to deliver a performance Fiesta, recently confirming to AutoGuide that a Fiesta ST hot hatch is on its way.

And as Ford searches for ways to further improve the fuel economy of its product line, the 1.0L EcoBoost engine is currently under consideration for the model while rumors have also surfaced that engineers and executives are studying the possibility of a diesel engine for the US market.

[Source: Automotive News]