海角大神

Ford鈥檚聽1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine聽is small enough to聽fit into an airline-approved carry-on bag, yet powerful enough to deliver some 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque.

As you鈥檇 guess, it鈥檚 also聽fuel efficient, which is the primary reason why Ford has announced it will be offered in the 2014聽Ford Fiesta聽as an alternative to the base model's 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

Though Ford didn鈥檛 release details on聽fuel economy, it did say the 1.0-liter EcoBoost-equipped Fiesta would return the highest fuel economy of 鈥渁ny non-hybrid鈥� model sold in the United States.

As聽Green Car Reports聽tells us, in European testing the 1.0-liter EcoBoost has achieved an equivalent 47聽mpg, meaning that 40 mpg on the EPA test cycle is a reasonable expectation.

Ford has gone to great lengths to ensure better driveability from its 1.0-liter EcoBoost than consumers typically associate with three-cylinder engines. The current聽Smart ForTwo聽relies on a 70-horsepower, 1.0-liter聽three-cylinder engine, and past models such as the聽Subaru聽Justy, Geo Metro and the ironically named Chevy Sprint previously relied on triples as well.

None were known for their refinement, which is why Ford has equipped its EcoBoost triple with an 鈥渦nbalanced鈥� flywheel to counter the engines uneven pulses. With a diesel-like torque curve (peak torque hits at just 1,400 rpm) the baby EcoBoost isn鈥檛 likely to feel underpowered in the Fiesta, either.

Look for Ford to unveil the 2014 Fiesta with the optional 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine at next week鈥檚 Los Angeles Auto Show, with sales beginning in 2013.
We鈥檒l bring you more details on this and other models as part of our comprehensive 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show coverage.