ford’s new 1.4 l duratorq tdci more efficient & capable

2
The Figo would count as Ford India’s most successful product since the company set foot in India in 1995. Launched in 2010, the VFM quotient of the Figo was already high, but Ford India decided to give it a mid-cycle facelift towards the end of last year with several changes to its design, features, and technology. Both the petrol and diesel engines underwent changes. We drove the diesel variant to bring you details of the engine’s architecture and improvements. FORD’S NEW 1.4 l DURATORQ TDCi MORE EFFICIENT & CAPABLE 1.4 l DURATORQ TDCi The engine specifications stay the same for the 1.4 l Duratorq TDCi at a peak power output of just over 68 hp and torque of 160 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The same engine has been powering the Fiesta Classic and Ikon for some years now. The engine features some interest- ing architectures and creative solutions to overcome challenges that are natu- rally associated with diesel fuel. In order to counter the high compression ratio of a diesel engine, the block con- struction features a unique design to overcome stress. During the casting pro- cess, cast iron bore liners are installed in the block for further strengthening. To keep weight in check, the engine employs cast aluminium pistons, which operate in cylinders with a bore of 73 mm and stroke of 82 mm. Multiple weight check measures help in keeping the overall engine weight down to just 98 kg. Being an undersquare engine, it is compact and develops most of its torque at lower rpm. Owing to the changes to calibration in the new Figo, the car accelerates slightly quicker from a standstill and through the gears. Although there is no change in the power output or performance, the car feels marginally quicker in first and sec- ond gear. This is primarily due to 54 www.autotechreview.com TECHNOLOGY ENGINE

Upload: doankiet

Post on 19-Mar-2017

223 views

Category:

Documents


6 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Ford’s New 1.4 L Duratorq TDCi More Efficient & Capable

The Figo would count as Ford India’s most successful product since the company set foot in India in 1995.

Launched in 2010, the VFM quotient of the Figo was already high, but Ford India decided to give it a mid-cycle

facelift towards the end of last year with several changes to its design, features, and technology. Both the petrol

and diesel engines underwent changes. We drove the diesel variant to bring you details of the engine’s architecture

and improvements.

FORD’S NEW 1.4 l DURATORQ TDCiMORE EFFICIENT & CAPABLE

1.4 l DURATORQ TDCi

The engine specifications stay the same

for the 1.4 l Duratorq TDCi at a peak

power output of just over 68 hp and

torque of 160 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The

same engine has been powering the

Fiesta Classic and Ikon for some years

now. The engine features some interest-

ing architectures and creative solutions

to overcome challenges that are natu-

rally associated with diesel fuel. In

order to counter the high compression

ratio of a diesel engine, the block con-

struction features a unique design to

overcome stress. During the casting pro-

cess, cast iron bore liners are installed

in the block for further strengthening.

To keep weight in check, the engine

employs cast aluminium pistons, which

operate in cylinders with a bore of 73

mm and stroke of 82 mm. Multiple

weight check measures help in keeping

the overall engine weight down to just

98 kg. Being an undersquare engine, it

is compact and develops most of its

torque at lower rpm. Owing to the

changes to calibration in the new Figo,

the car accelerates slightly quicker from

a standstill and through the gears.

Although there is no change in the

power output or performance, the car

feels marginally quicker in first and sec-

ond gear. This is primarily due to

54 www.autotechreview.com

TECHNOLOGY ENGINE

Page 2: Ford’s New 1.4 L Duratorq TDCi More Efficient & Capable

changes in the ECU calibration. We

were able to achieve a 0-100 accelera-

tion time of 16.2 s using a handheld

GPS device.

The fuel-injection system is a com-

mon rail unit and is claimed to improve

power, efficiency and lower NVH levels.

The fuel injection system is capable of a

peak injection pressure of 1,500 bar,

which helps improve fuel atomisation,

resulting in a more homogeneous com-

bustion. Piezo injectors further ensure

injection of precise quantity of fuel,

leading to lower consumption. The val-

vetrain features a single overhead cam-

shaft design (SOHC) with two valves

per cylinder. Although a DOHC

would’ve been theoretically better, the

decision to use SOHC seems to be

driven by cost-management. Valves are

driven by a nylon timing gear with rub-

ber belt, a combination claimed to offer

higher durability.

Low-friction is a highly pursued

attribute by powertrain engineers these

days as it directly benefits power and

efficiency. Usage of roller cam followers

significantly reduces the friction and

aids fuel-efficiency. Further, the valve-

train is driven by a glass-reinforced

high-nitrile butyl rubber belt, which is

claimed to offer longer life. This belt

also drives the water pump and fuel

pump along with the camshaft.

Ford claims lower NVH levels due to

usage of double-bulb weather strips in

the door, but the difference was hard to

make out without a decibel meter. In

general, the diesel engine’s sound is still

on the high side and does filter signifi-

cantly in the cabin at high speeds or

under acceleration.

1.2 l DURATEC

The1.2 l petrol engine belongs to Ford’s

four-cylinder SIGMA engine family and

develops just over 70 hp and a torque of

102 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The engine fea-

tures a compression ratio of 9.75:1 in

order to better suit the inconsistent fuel

quality in India. In order to control

weight, the engine block and cylinder

heads are made from aluminium. The

water jackets too have been designed in

order to compliment the four-valve cyl-

inder head. Weight is kept in further

check by usage of a thermoplastic

intake manifold.

The valvetrain of this engine is more

modern in the form of a dual overhead

camshaft (DOHC) design. The system

features hydraulic self-adjustable tap-

pets, which are claimed to reduce fric-

tion and powertrain NVH. Overall, the

petrol engine’s architecture is much

modern in comparison with its diesel

sibling, due to inclusion of technologies

such as drive-by-wire electronic throttle.

One can’t complain much though for

the diesel missing out on DOHC and

drive-by-wire as the cost at which it is

offered already provides one of the high-

est value in its segment.

TRANSMISSION

Another key revision came in the form

of the transmission, which now requires

lesser effort to operate. We could sense

the increased ease of operation during

our test and this is primarily a result of

changes to the shifter mechanism –

short throws and easier shifts. Add to

that a responsive and agile steering unit

and the Figo’s driver-friendly credentials

appear even better.

The IB5 five-speed manual transmis-

sion has been designed to perform opti-

mally in Indian conditions where most

of the regular run is done in dense traf-

fic. The clutch pedal characteristics

have been tuned to offer a low-effort

operation. The shift lever makes use of

cable shift technology, which ensures

that shifts are smooth and precise.

A thoughtful solution in the new Figo

is the double-sided dry clutch system,

which can automatically compensate for

clutch wear owing to a hydraulically-

operated clutch mechanism. A final

drive ratio of 3.82 for the diesel and

4.25 for the petrol engine indicates good

fuel-efficiency. This was testified during

our test, wherein we achieved an aver-

age fuel-efficiency of 16.2 km/l with

almost 60 % of the run being carried

out in dense traffic.

ROUND-UP

The new Figo features multiple technical

changes, aimed specifically at the Indian

market. All the new changes add signifi-

cant value and functionality to the new

Figo, which is priced at 3.85 lakh and

4.83 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the

petrol and diesel variant respectively.

TEXT: Arpit Mahendra

PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay/ Ford

Read this article on

www.autotechreview.com

Owing to the revised engine calibration, the new Figo feels quicker in the first two gears

55autotechreview February 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 2

`

`