As regular followers of the general car chat threads will know, I expressed great interest in this engine when I read the rave reviews about it in Autocar, the Telegraph and virtually every other motoring magazine out there. Trouble is Ford have been tardy in releasing their literature so have not really had a chance to read up on the car and get full tech specs. Because of this I was only too keen to try the car, especially as Ford have been remarkably quiet about promoting this engine. It has appeared with remarkably little fanfare (dealer only got the car in this week with no publicity) which is a shame and a wrong foot on Ford's part as boy is this engine a game changer.

Prior to the test drive I was a little sceptical that a 999 cc turbo triple, despite trick valve technology and turbo would really be able to make a decent fist of hauling something the size of a Focus along. I was prepared for substantial turbo lag and an engine that would need to be rowed up and down the gearbox to maintain momentum but this is definately not the case. This engine is the centre piece of this car and will astound anyone who drives it. Press the start button and the starter chirps briefly and then the engine settles into a virtually silent tickover. Pulling away on very light throttle out of the forecourt of the dealer and there is no momentary shudder or hesitation that I have found with other triples that I have driven (the Skoda engine and the Toyota Aygo). The car moves aways easily and you can still barely hear the engine. Pulling out into traffic and you get zero hesitation and a really eager and big hearted pull from virtually idle with no turbo lag at all. The car feels very eager indeed and that initial push from idle is almost Diesel like. Not in the strength or force obviously as 125 lb ft (rising to 148 lb ft on overboost) at 1600 is no match for a turbo diesel. It is the quality of the pull that draws the comparison: the eagerness if you like. Unlike a Diesel engine though this engine continues to pull right around to the 7000 rpm limiter and it is serious fun when you wind it up. The engine is so smooth and linear that it reminds me more of a small capacity six (such as BMW's old 2.0 24 valve unit from the E36 3 series) but without the peakiness. the noise is similar too. There is none of the buzz and thrash of say an HTP when you put your foot in it. At low revs the engine is just a distant hum rising to a muted but very stirring howl when you really rev it. Once up to speed and in sixth gear on the motorway it is absolutely silent and only pulling about 2500 rpm. Astonishingly the engine can pull sixth from about 40 mph with absolutely zero hesitation. I drive an original (untuned) Fabia VRS and I was leaving the car in 4th and fifth in these gears like I would with the Furby. It was the dealer who encouraged me to get the car straight into sixth at that speed and I honestly didn't think it would be possible. Third and fourth gears are extremely effective to driving country lanes and also provide plenty of shove for overtaking as it is in these gears that you really feel the benefit of the 30 second overboost facility. The weight (or lack of it ) of the engine also makes the car beautifully balanced and an absolute pleasure to throw about. You don't feel any weight in the nose at all and the car responds instantly to the steering. Only criticism that I have is the steering is really light and has very little feel (I am guessing it is an all electric set up). The ride is excellent though and that, together with the engine's long legs in sixth would make this a great car to do a long journey in.

One thing that is still a little bit of a concern is the fuel economy of the engine. Ford are claiming over 50 mpg so i am told (no official literature or brochures yet remember) but I am guessing that is the stupidly unrealistic EC figure. On my mixed urban, twisty and A road run the trip computer was reading 36 mpg which is ok but not amazing. Thing is a petrol, no matter how packed with tech, will never be as efficient as a Diesel and I reckon one will have to drive the car like a nun to get anywhere near the 50 mpg average claimed. Would i choose one over a Diesel though? Damn right I would because with the cost of Diesel fuel and the added complications of DPFs, upcoming urea additive, and expensive injector and VGT turbos, Diesels are making less and less of a case for themselves to me considering the driving that i do. This engine would not leave me feeling short changed stepping from a Fabia VRS Diesel in terms of grunt and the refinement and character of the engine are in a different league. The guy at the dealer said that Ford really took their time with this engine as they wanted it to be a total revolution in mid size car propulsion. I think it is safe to say they have succeeded and have raised a really high bar for rivals. Go drive one and see for yourself. I think you will be pretty surprised. As it stands i think this will power my next car but i will wait until they put it in a Fiesta.: that will be devastatingly effective

Edited 11 October, 201213 yr by Matt Bodycombe

Nice review Matt - where did you test drive, somewhere in Medway? If I can get a test drive near me I'll give it a try but not with a view to buying one just to see what the engine's like.

Manufacturers haven't had a good track record with being honest about mpg recently and this sounds like it won't be an exception. Shame really as it's marketed as an eco car yet sounds like it barely does any better than my old Octy VRS! I suppose you were pushing it a bit on the test drive though so if you took it easy you might be able to achieve mid 40's.

If they put it in the Fiesta I guess it will slot into the Fiesta range in the same way the 1.2TSI does with the current Fabia - a mild performance trim but not the top one, that'll probably be a 1.4 or 1.6 turbo'd reincarnation of the Fiesta RS Turbo I'd guess.

Thanks Jamie and yeah Dagenham Motors had a launch weekend on Saturday and i went to have a go. Yeah I did give it a little bit of stick so you are probably right about the fuel economy. Trouble is manufacturers are only alllowed to quote the EU test figures by law. They are done on a rolling road and are a comletely meaningless comparison for day to day road use. It misleads a lot of people though such as those who bought a 500 Twinair expecting 60 mpg and who are taking them back as they are struggling to get 40.

Anyway sees you soon!

Interesting review, I was looking forward to hearing some real world comments about this exciting engine.

Quite surprising how well all these new petrol engines do so well at low revs. If everyone is starting to drive at low revs we should go back to 8V and gets some more low down torque

Umm shame about fuel economy, like chicken points out, same economy as Octy vRS. Although yes tax and insurance would be cheaper.

Higgy69 actually VW are: the 1.2 TSI engine is a turbo sohc 8valver with direct injection. It was designed and is built by Skoda I believe

Thanks for the nice comments

Edited 11 October, 201213 yr by Matt Bodycombe

Thanks for the review on this, been intrigued by this engine, does seem extremly clever. I love some of the ideas ford has put into it.

Would like to see how the new VAG 1.4tsi engine with cylinder deactivation stacks up against this engine. VW are claiming 60 plus MPG combined and 138bhp 185lb/ft. Going by this it should be a lot quicker and more economical than the Ford ecoboost. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating but on paper the VAG engine beats the ford ecoboost hands down.

Yeah but it is almost half as big again and in a different bracket I think. The Ecoboost is probably nearer to the 1.2 tsi engine than the 1.4. As to 60 mpg i would take that with a large pinch of salt as it is the Euro test figure which is nowhere near reality. Ford claim 56 mpg combined for the 125 bhp but I was getting about 42 on an admittedly tight engine. I would still have the Ford over the VW engine tbh as it so much more characterful and nicer on the ear than a four pot. Also for a 999cc engine to push a car like a focus to over 120mph and to pull cleanly from 1000rpm in top is pretty impressive. It is so smooth it feels like a small six. And just check the sound out on open pipes in the ecoboost formula ford thread on general car chat

Edited 17 October, 201213 yr by Matt Bodycombe