2010 Lincoln MKS gets EcoBoost power

Press release

Style, technology and power. With the addition of the all-new EcoBoost™ engine, the new 2010 Lincoln MKS delivers the luxury and comfort standards unique to Lincoln with a powertrain that produces a compelling combination of V-8 power and V-6 fuel economy.

The new Lincoln MKS is the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to introduce a premium twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine for the 2010 model year. By 2013, more than 90 percent of Ford’s North American nameplates 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 of the all-wheel-drive 2010 Lincoln MKS produces 355 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 ft.-lb. of torque from 1,500 to 5,250 rpm and can be run on regular fuel. The Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost will deliver at least 17 mpg city and at least 24 mpg highway.

“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.”

Standard on Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost are 19-inch premium painted aluminum wheels, steering-wheel paddle shifters, six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission, all-wheel drive, Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, ambient lighting, adaptive HID headlamps with Auto Highbeam, rain-sensing wipers and rear-window power sunshade.

An MKS EcoBoost Appearance Package will have late availability, offering customers a more-aggressive and sporty look that further differentiates the Lincoln MKS from other competitors. The MKS EcoBoost Appearance Package seamlessly combines the power and fuel economy from this new engine technology with the high luxury standards pioneered by Lincoln.

Highlights of the MKS EcoBoost Appearance Package include:

• Luxury seats in Sienna with Charcoal Black Tuxedo Seam
• Black stitching and Lincoln Star logos embroidered on the headrest
• Illuminated MKS sill plates – the “MK” is in white and the “S” is in red
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Upgraded black floor mats with embroidered Lincoln Star
• Unique exterior appointments, including EcoBoost badging, distinctive grille, front lip spoiler, rear fascia lower, side rockers and door cladding, decklid lip spoiler with chrome insert and modified MKS decklid badge (“S” in red)
• 20-inch chrome wheels

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 recover energy from the exhaust that otherwise would be wasted and put it back in the engine to gain efficiency. Simply, the turbocharging system puts more air into the engine for more power. A compressor increases or “boosts” the pressure of the air entering the engine. An air-to-air intercooler is used to cool the compressed intake air before it enters the combustion chamber. This allows the air to be even more densely packed for optimal performance, contributing to more-efficient fuel burn and fuel efficiency.

The twin parallel turbochargers, which are water-cooled and operate simultaneously, combine with a direct-injection fuel system to instantly produce power when the driver pushes down on the accelerator pedal.

The high-pressure fuel pump operates at 2,150 psi – more than 35 times the norm seen in a conventional V-6 engine. The high-pressure pump is a cam-driven mechanical pump with a single piston and an electronic valve that controls how much fuel is routed into the fuel rails to the injectors.

As demands on the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine are increased, the control system responds to maintain optimal combustion, timing and injection duration.

On each stroke, six individual jets spray fuel directly into the combustion chamber, mixing with the incoming air. “By bringing the fuel injector right into the combustion chamber, there’s no delay from the time you inject the fuel to when it’s used by the engine,” Hinds said. The fuel injectors are located on the side of the combustion chamber. When the fuel is injected into the cylinder, it evaporates and cools the air that’s been inducted into the cylinder.

“Another benefit of our direct-injection method is that it cools the air right where you’re going to burn it,” Hinds said. “This action both improves the breathing of the engine and minimizes knocking.”

The direct injection of fuel into the cylinder also helps provide a well-mixed air-fuel charge, increasing engine efficiency. Direct injection provides several benefits in terms of fuel burn and lower emissions.

“Because the fuel is directly introduced into the combustion chamber, you don’t get fuel wetting the combustion wall like with port fuel injection, you don’t saturate the ports and you don’t get droplets that might recombine and add to saturation,” Hinds said. “By injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber and under high pressure, the fuel can be directed to exactly where we want it to be for a given combustion cycle.”

The spray pattern for the fuel was optimized after extensive computer modeling work, with the angle of how the fuel is sprayed key to the process. “The better combustion process is a big advantage of direct injection,” Hinds said. “In a port fuel system, at key off it’s possible to have fuel on the walls of the intake port, which migrates to the top of the valve and puddles. So when you key on, you get that emissions spike. Direct injection is much cleaner from that standpoint.”