Ford Details U.S.-Spec 1.0L EcoBoost for 2014 Fiesta [2012 L.A. Auto Show]

Monday, November 19, 2012

Ford Details U.S.-Spec 1.0L EcoBoost for 2014 Fiesta [2012 L.A. Auto Show]

Ford confirmed today that its first U.S. model to receive the 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be the 2014 Fiesta. Well, make that re-confirmed, as the company made essentially the same announcement more than a year ago. We now know a few more details, however, including output. The U.S.-market 2014 Fiesta is scheduled to make its public debut on November 28 at this year's L.A. auto show before going on sale in the second half of next year.

Ford pegs the 999-cc three-banger at 123 hp and 148 lb-ft, which are the same numbers applied to the engine in the European-market Focus, the first vehicle to receive the three-pot. We recently tested the 1.0-liter Focus here in the U.S. and found the engine to be fairly overwhelmed by the larger car's mass—we clocked a 0-to-60-mph run of more than 10 seconds—albeit surprisingly smooth in operation.

It should fare much better in the Fiesta, which Ford tells us weighs as much as 450 pounds less, 1.0-liter model to 1.0-liter model. The Blue Oval also promises impressive EPA fuel-efficiency numbers—it says this version of the Fiesta will be the most efficient nonhybrid model for sale in America—although we've observed that lofty ratings for turbo engines can be very difficult to achieve in the real world, and we saw just 27 mpg from our Focus test car. Transmission specifics weren't being discussed, but the 1.0-liter is paired with five- and six-speed manuals in European Focuses. Whether we'll see the engine stop-start system available across the ocean is also unconfirmed for now.

The 1.0-liter engine will arrive concurrently with a raft of updates to the diminutive Fiesta, including a face lift, the availability of MyFord Touch, and the introduction of the sporty ST model, which will have a turbocharged version of the 1.6. While the ST's arrival was essentially an open secret, we broke the first official confirmation of it in government documents back in October. Those documents suggested output of 160 or so horsepower, but the figure is probably more like 175-plus. Many of the updates to the 2014 Fiesta were previewed with the unveil of the European three- and five-doors at this September's Paris auto show.

Ford also confirmed that the 1.0-liter engine will be optional in the U.S., meaning that the current naturally aspirated, 120-hp 1.6-liter four will still be available; this should help the company hold the line on base pricing despite the upgraded technology and nicer interior materials for 2014. Pricing isn't yet set, but the company notes that opting for an EcoBoost engine currently costs about a grand in most of its models. With the 1.0-liter Fiesta, Ford hopes to capture buyers on a budget who can't afford to jump into even the cheapest hybrid or diesel models; Honda's Insight, for example, starts at just over $19,000, or about as much as the most expensive 2013 Fiesta.

European-market 2014 Ford Fiesta with 1.0L EcoBoost engine

Euro-spec Fiesta with 1.0L EcoBoost engine on display at today's press event.

There also are plans to offer the 1.0-liter in the mid-size Mondeo in Europe, but there's no chance we'll see it in the U.S. Fusion, the twin to the Mondeo. We can all agree that's a good decision—a 1.0-liter Fusion would likely join the pre-update Smart ED among the slowest cars we've tested in recent years. The B- and C-Max MPVs also get the 1.0-liter on the Continent.

We'll have full details on the U.S.-spec 2014 Fiesta lineup—as well as driving impressions of a European 1.0-liter model—the week of the L.A. show.