The carmaker is exploring a number of different fuel efficiency solutions for the EcoBoost engine – which has won the International Engine of the Year title for three years running. These include cylinder deactivation technologies that have already shown fuel efficiency improvements of up to 6% on a working prototype

The findings have been presented at the Vienna Engine Symposium by Andreas Schamel, Ford director, global powertrain, research & advanced engineering.

“Even for an aggressively downsized engine such as the 1.0-litre EcoBoost, a significant improvement in vehicle fuel economy could be found by exploiting cylinder deactivation,” Schamel said. “The highest priority in the development of new combustion engines for automotive applications is the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption.”