EcoBoost Finds Right Mix Of Power, Efficiency



The sport utility vehicle became an endangered species not long after fuel prices began to skyrocket. But while vehicle buyers changed their shopping habits, they didn't actually stray that far from the SUV formula. Many of today's hottest-selling vehicles are crossovers; essentially the same tall wagons as the SUV, but with a lighter unibody chassis.

Among other things, the CUV promised to deliver superior efficiency, and while some improvement has been evident, in many cases, the genre's fuel savings have failed to impress. A good case in point is the Ford Edge. When Ford's two-row CUV entered the market in 2007, it managed only 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and many buyers struggled to hit 20 mpg in mixed driving cycles. There were plenty of reasons for its unimpressive efficiency. Most crossovers remain substantially heavier than a comparable four-door sedan, and with plenty of frontal area, they don't exactly slice through the wind. But perhaps the biggest issue has been unevolved powertrains.

Ford thinks it has the answer to that problem in the form of its new EcoBoost 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Ford is using the compact, turbocharged mill in a variety of crossovers, including the 2012 Ford Edge, and we sampled a well-equipped Edge Limited to see how effective the Blue Oval's engine downsizing strategy is going.Continue reading 2012 Ford Edge Limited EcoBoost

2012 Ford Edge Limited EcoBoost originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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