As it aims to meet ever stringent Corporate Average Fuel Economy Targets, Ford Motor Company continues with its march to introduce still more smaller displacement, turbocharged and direct injected EcoBoost engines into its North American product lineup.

From seven models available with EcoBoost technology last year, the number will increase to 11 for 2012, with the Focus, 2013 Ford Escape and Fusion as well as Ford’s new Police Interceptor joining the ranks.

For the Escape and the Fusion, which currently represent the volume segments, Ford will offer both 1.6 and 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, with a 2.0-liter unit also set aside for the compact Focus.

The Taurus based Interceptor meanwhile, will receive a version of the 365 horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, currently doing duty in the SHO.

“Ford is committed to delivering class-leading fuel economy for our customers, which benefits the environment and helps the U.S. move toward greater energy independence,” declared Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering in response to EcoBoost expansion.

“Availability in high-volume nameplates such as the all-new Ford Escape and Fusion will take this affordable, fuel-saving technology to the heart of the market,” she said.

The proliferation of EcoBoost engines in 2012 should help Ford to deliver EPA fuel mileage targets of 40 miles per gallon or more across nine different models by the end of the year, certainly helping its chances of meeting tough CAFE regs of 35.5 mpg for both passenger cars and light trucks.

Read AutoGuide’s 2012 Ford Explorer EcoBoost Review Here

It’s anything but a secret: more gears mean better gas mileage. Mercedes-Benz packs a seven-speed automatic into many of its cars, Lexus uses an eight-speed transmission in its LS sedans, but these amply geared boxes are generally the things of luxury cars— until now.

We were the first to report that Hyundai had a 10-speed transmission in the works, having announced it at a tech briefing in Michigan. Hyundai has now confirmed that the transmission is under development, and will be in production as soon as possible, though details are still murky about which vehicles will get the technology. Given how aggressively automakers are pushing for better mileage year over year, it might make sense that the new gearbox would fall into Elantras or Accents rather than or alongside the luxurious Genesis and Equus. No doubt the transmission is being designed with the CAFE fuel economy regulations in mind that will come into effect fully in 2025 and expect a 54.4 mpg average rating.

We’ll keep you up to date as more emerges.

It’s becoming the latest thing on internal combustion engined vehicles, as automakers aim to boost fuel economy and reduce vehicle emissions, yet stop/start technology isn’t without its issues, as Kia Motors has discovered.

During an evaluation of Kia test vehicles equipped with the ISG (Idle, Stop and Go) technology, members of the press have reported a noticeable “shock” as the engine shuts off and then restarts. Kia also said that extremely cold and hot temperatures also affect the system’s ability to operate and plans to address these problems, meaning introduction of ISG on its Rio and Soul (shown above) models has been delayed until the second quarter of 2012.

Other automakers currently offering the technology include Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, plus Ford is also introducing it this year on the 2013 Fusion mid-size sedan.

In response to the teething troubles concerning ISG, Kia’s US marketing head, Michael Sprague, said, “it is a new technology, (and) we want to make sure it’s giving consumers the experience they would expect.” Indeed.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets for 2015 and beyond mean that all automakers selling vehicles in the US need to find a way to improve fleet efficiency without facing the risk of hefty fines.

For luxury automakers, traditionally seen as standard bearers of large displacement engines, this has meant a radical re-think when it comes to engine technology. Audi‘s flagship sedan, long recognized as a home for V8 power, is now joining the fray, with two downsized engines, a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and later a 3.0 diesel in the works.

This will mark the first time that either engine has been offered in the A8, though with some 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque on tap, the V6 supercharged should prove no slouch.

As for the diesel, not much information is currently available, suffice to say that it will likely differ in power output from the European version due to emissions requirements for oil burners here in the US (at present the engine is undergoing certification). Stay tuned for further developments.

GALLERY: Audi A8L 3.0T

It’s a distinct possibility. On November 29th in Japan, Nissan introduced its latest hybrid driveline, which consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, teamed with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack.

What sets this one apart from other technologies is that  the gas engine employs a positive displacement supercharger, which helps the powertrain deliver comparable numbers to Nissan’s VQ35 3.5-liter V6 while offering significant gains in fuel economy.

Nissan engineers also claim that the torque curve on this new drivetrain is almost identical to the V6, which means plenty of low and mid-range grunt; something a number of Nissan’s North American offerings have been known for over the last decade.

Although there’s been no official word yet, given the similarities in performance and power delivery, it is very likely this system could supplement or even replace the VQ35 in cars such as the Altima and possibly even the Maxima as well as some of its SUV offerings.

The Yokohama based company also said that it plans to introduce more forced-induction hybrid powertrains in the coming years, both for it’s Nissan and Infiniti brands, possibly with Plug-In technology. Exciting stuff.

[Source: Autoblog]

As part of it’s response to meet tougher Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets, Audi of America, logically is looking to diesels, at least in the short term to improve its overall fleet mileage.

The US arm of the Ingolstadt automaker plans to bring over oil burning versions of the Q5 SUV and A8 flagship sedan next year, however the A6 diesel has now been pushed back, along with the planned introduction of the A6 an A8 Hybrid models.

In the case of the latter, Audi’s US President, Johann De Nysschen says that the pushing back the A6 and A8 Hybrids was largely done to “minimize complexity” in the lineup, since Audi is already planning to introduce a Q5 Hybrid for 2012.

As to why the A6 diesel has been delayed, no official word so far, but given that the mid-size premium sedan segment is largely a stagnant market in the US and most of Audi’s sales gains (14.1 percent so far this year) have essentially been at the expense of rivals, perhaps the time simply isn’t right to introduce yet another new model.  That said, Audi’s German rivals, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also reporting increased demand (4.1 percent for the E-Class and a whopping 46.4 percent through the first 10 months of this year).

During a recent statement at the LA Auto Show, De Nysschen also said that a diesel A7 Sportback is a possibility for North America, though in reference to rumors of a possible local production facility he said “no official decision has been made.”

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Behold, the new bar for fuel economy: 126 highway miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). Which car is championing these figures? The Mitsubishi i electric vehicle.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Guide ranked the Mitsubishi i electric vehicle at the top for fuel consumption. The competing Nissan Leaf stacks up 13 MPGe lower at a still impressive 99  MPGe. The Mitsubishi i beats the Leaf in city and highway fuel economy, making it the most efficient car on the road.

Yoichi Yokozawa, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) said the company was pleased to be rated at the top of the EPA’s Fuel Economy guide.

“With 17,000 i-MiEV-based units produced for various international markets, we look forward to providing North American consumers with an exceptionally well-engineered electric vehicle that has proven itself to be reliable, safe, efficient and very affordable in overall price and cost of operation,” he said.

The Annual Fuel Guide, published in cooperation by the EPA and  Department of Energy, offers consumers information far beyond what appears on a car’s window sticker. They also offer advice on how to improve fuel efficiency.

The Mitsubishi i isn’t available at the moment, but MMNA expects to start releasing them in North America late this month.

Ford might have their work cut out for them as they try to change general consumer perception on their vehicle line’s fuel economy. Ford’s global marketing chief, Jim Farley, claims that of the 240 million American drivers only 32-percent of them have a good opinion of Ford on fuel economy. Some simple math will tell you that you’ve got a pretty big majority that doesn’t have a good opinion.

But it appears that Ford’s already hard at work in changing that perception, boasting an 11-percent increase in North American sales this year through October, which is ahead of the market’s overall gain of 10-percent. With the addition of their EcoBoost engines, Ford is working hard to change public perception on their fuel economy. “But we have a long way to go,” Farley said. “Those that own fuel economy in the U.S. own pricing.”

[Source: Automotive News]

Say the word Jaguar, and probably the first thing to come to mind won’t be fuel efficiency.

Jaguar recently took a road trip from New York to Los Angeles in a British spec XF 2.2 Diesel, and covered the 2884-miles journey at an average of 62.9-mpg. This makes it the most efficient Jaguar ever made.

The car Jaguar used was a showroom stock model and was not modified in any way. The trip took 8 days to complete, while the car made just 4 fuel stops.

The XF diesel achieved its best result on the penultimate day of the trek, achieving 67-mpg. That is incredible for a five-seater luxury sedan of any size, even if the trek was done at an average speed of just 53-mph. Jaguar credits its new 8-speed automatic gearbox and revised aerodynamics, which is available on all the 2012 XF models.

According to a study conducted by the Department of Transportation, results revealed that Americans have been driving less now than they have over a year ago.

Travel on U.S. roads have declined by 1.3 percent through the first eight months of the year when measured against the same period a year ago. This 1.3 percent drop translates to about 26 billion vehicles miles traveled, a number that has not been recorded since 2003.

The result of many exterior forces at work, there are no clear indications to explain the decline. A likely assumption is the increase in fuel prices over last year as well as the recent economic times have encouraged more people to take daycations and staycations than to plan extended road trips.

[Source: usa today]