So it is official, Ford->ke31 has gone absolutely crazy with the EcoBoost trend, but it’s a good crazy, as the EcoBoost both lowers emissions and sharply increases fuel economy. The latest engine to spool its way into the EcoBoost lineup is the all-new 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder version. When most people think of a 1.0-liter three-banger, they tend to picture the early-1990s Metro with its concrete massaging 49 horsepower zipping it to 60 mph sometime in the next century, while driving downhill.

Fortunately, this isn’t your Metro’s three-cylinder engine. This boosted three-banger will pump out a respectable 98 horsepower on the base level and an even more impressive 125 horsepower on the top-level engine, the latter exceeding the current 1.6-liter’s output by 5 horsepower.

FEV, the leading developer for this engine, also claims that both versions of the engine will twist out 125 pound-feet of torque, which is 13 more pound-feet than the 1.6-liter engine and it saves 20 pounds worth of weight compared to the 1.6-liter.

The press release makes it a little unclear as to whether or not this new EcoBoost will be offered in the U.S., but given the fact that it mentions the 1.6-liter in a Focus->ke440, and it being offered in the C-Max->ke2313 and B-Max, we can assume that it will start off in the U.K., as the B-Max and C-Max are U.K. models, and the Focus only comes with the 1.6-liter in the U.K. . Granted, the C-Max is coming to the U.S., but as a hybrid model only.

With the power output of this engine, you can expect to see it making its way over here soon. The likely host for it would be the Ford Fiesta, as it is more accepted with a smaller engine. Focus buyers would generally not accept a 1.0-liter-powered model.

We will continue to keep an eye on this and let you know if Ford makes mention of it coming to the U.S. or not.

Click past the jump to read FEV’s full press release

FEV supported early development of latest engine to join Ford EcoBoost family

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 24, 2012 -- FEV, Inc., leading developers of advanced powertrain and vehicle technologies, announced today that it is showing the latest Ford EcoBoost engine, the 1.0L I3, at the 2012 SAE World Congress, running today through April 26 at Cobo Center in Detroit, Mich. FEV provided support to Ford Motor Company in the early development of the engine, which is representative of an emerging automotive trend that will dominate the market in coming years. Gary Rogers, president and CEO of FEV, Inc., made the announcement.

"We have been very fortunate to have supported Ford Motor Company in the development of this breakthrough powertrain," said Rogers. "This is a prime example of FEV's business model, which is designed to integrate its expertise into the development process for customer propulsion systems on an as-needed basis. The EcoBoost engine represents one of the recent trends in the automotive industry, a move towards downsized and highly boosted engines that deliver higher power and better fuel economy than the larger engines they replace. And these engines are capable of doing that with very low exhaust emissions levels."

The three-cylinder engine is designed for Ford vehicles such as the Focus, the B-MAX and the C-MAX. The engine will initially be offered with power ratings of 73.5 and 92kW (98 and 123HP, respectively), providing the power of the 1.6L four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine in the Ford Focus. Both versions will deliver 170 Nm (125 lb-ft) of torque between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm, which is an improvement over the 1.6L engine.

The smaller power plant also provides an overall weight reduction of approximately 20 lbs. According to Ford, the Focus with the 73.5-kW engine achieves CO2 emissions of 109 g/km.

In the early development stages, FEV provided support in the area of design and CAE, combustion development, and engine build for 36 engines.

About FEV

The FEV Group is an internationally recognized powertrain and vehicle engineering company that supplies the global transportation industry. FEV offers a complete range of engineering services, providing support across the globe to customers in the design, analysis, prototyping, powertrain and transmission development, as well as vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internal combustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fueled powertrains. FEV also designs, develops and prototypes advanced vehicle / powertrain electronic control systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address future emission and fuel economy standards. The FEV Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment. The FEV Group employs a staff of over 2,200 highly skilled specialists at advanced technical centers on three continents. FEV, Inc. employs approximately 350 personnel at FEV's North American Technical Center in Auburn Hills, MI.

SOURCE FEV, Inc.