Lincoln Cars News

Ecoboost is one of Ford Motor Company’s tools to enhance the power performance of its vehicles. It is the key initiative for bringing fuel economy of more than 20 percent without sacrificing the speed characteristics. Thus, the 3.5-liter EcoboostTM V-6 engine, the first V-6 direct-injection twin-turbocharged engine produced in North America, was debuting in the 2010 Lincoln MKS.
The 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine delivers 355 horsepower and a responsive 350 lb.-ft. of torque with the fuel economy of a V-6. Totally it provides Lincoln MKS the power of a 4.6-liter V-8. It is the 1st ecoboost engine coming from Ford that is a part of fuel-saving strategy. It is expected that by 2013 more than 90 percent of Ford’s North American lineup will be available with EcoBoost technology.
“We are committed to delivering fuel economy leadership in every new vehicle,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford`s group vice president of Global Product Development. “We do this with affordable technology that can be applied to the widest number of vehicles. EcoBoost is an important component of that goal.

“The beauty of EcoBoost is that it enables us to downsize for fuel efficiency, yet boost for power. We`re able to decrease the size of the available engine – such as installing a V-6 versus a V-8 – yet boost the power using turbocharging to deliver similar power and torque of that larger engine.”
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 is supposed to get fuel economy numbers of 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway based on preliminary testing of the all-wheel-drive 2010 Lincoln MKS producing 355 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 350 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm. With the help of premium EcoBoost engine, Lincoln MKS will produce more power and attain better highway fuel efficiency than the 2009 Lexus GS460 (24 mpg) or 2009 Infiniti M45 (21 mpg).
“We`re delighted with how well the Lincoln MKS has been received. Customers have really responded to the vehicle`s balanced combination of luxury, comfort and performance,” said Pete Reyes, chief nameplate engineer. “Adding the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 is another great enhancement to our luxury sedan. We now can deliver V-8 power without sacrificing fuel economy.”
The Lincoln MKS will be among the first vehicles to receive the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 in 2009, which will only enhance its already strong enough package. Standard on the Lincoln MKS Ecoboost series will be 19-inch wheels, steering-wheel paddle shifters to the six-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and an expanded technology package that includes Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, ambient lighting, adaptive HID headlamps with Auto Highbeam, rain-sensing wipers and rear-window power sunshade.

“The Lincoln MKS EcoBoost series provides customers the best combination in style, technology and power,” said Pei-Wen Hsu, Lincoln MKS Marketing manager. “An EcoBoost appearance package also will be available, offering customers a more aggressive and sporty look that further differentiates the Lincoln MKS from other competitors.”
The EcoBoost program is part of Ford`s ongoing and wide-ranging initiative to deliver innovative fuel-efficient powertrain systems with horsepower and torque performance found in larger-displacement engines.

“Our EcoBoost engines offer more power and better fuel economy,” said Brett Hinds, EcoBoost design manager. “It`s all part of Ford`s strategy to bring adaptable powertrain technology to all kinds of vehicles and all kinds of lifestyles. This technology is affordable and applicable to all gasoline engines.”
The turbochargers are highly efficient due to the system of recovering energy from the exhaust that otherwise would be wasted and put it back in the engine to gain efficiency. In simple words, the turbocharging system puts more air into the engine for more power. A compressor here is to “boost” the pressure of the air entering the engine while intercooler reduces the air temperature before it enters the engine.
“Our testing is far, far more harsh than could be achieved in the real world,” said Hinds. “In an extreme situation, a customer might be able to hit peak power for about 10 seconds – probably not even that much. We test at peak power for hundreds of hours to ensure we can reach our durability and reliability goals.”
The turbocharges are no bigger than an orange size, but are really of high performance and Hinds describes the torque response in terms of linear acceleration – power whenever you need it.
“You get peak torque across a very wide engine speed range,” he said. “It`s available when you pull away from a stoplight or pass someone on a secondary road at a comparatively low speed. You don`t need to wind up the engine to get performance out of it. It`s there all the time.”
“We control the boost to make sure that customers don`t recognize when the boost is building,” Hinds said. “As the turbochargers spool up, the electronic control system takes over. Our active wastegate control along with the throttle controls the boost and torque levels very precisely and the customer perceives a continuous delivery of torque.”
Upgrades were made to the transmission`s friction material in response to the higher shift energies, and a new torque converter has been optimized for performance and fuel economy.

Additionally, the 6F-55 transmission operates more efficiently. The transmission team was able to reduce the fluid level in the transmission, which in turn reduced weight and drag torque on the system. Upgrades to the transmission`s thermal valve mean the system warms up quicker, reducing gear-spin losses.
“We`ve upgraded the gear sets to handle the increased torque,” said Joe Baum, powertrain team leader. “We`ve also adjusted the final drive ratio and matched the gear ratios to provide the optimum performance and fuel economy.

“Our final drive ration is 2.73. With a lower final drive ratio, the engine spins lower at highway speeds, which helps save fuel. And with all the torque, the Lincoln MKS still delivers good low-speed launch performance.”
With the help of careful powertrain system management, turbocharges and transmission work together in harmony.
The Lincoln MKS team was also ready to leave customers an exhaust note from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. A precision-tuned induction sound was giving the feeling of power.
“It has the powerful sound Lincoln MKS customers will respond to,” Hinds said.

Certainly with the addition of the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, the overall package for the Lincoln MKS is the one customers will respond to as well.

“With its elegant styling, wide suite of convenience technology and incomparable ride, the Lincoln MKS is an outstanding luxury sedan,” Reyes said. “We`re pleased and proud to add the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 to an already-great car.”