Ford EcoBoost Engines see high take rate, customers see higher transaction prices

Ford has been pushing its EcoBoost engines hard since they came out of the gate, with almost as many commercials touting its twin-turbo technology as we've seen all other Blue Oval spots combined. And all that marketing mojo appears to be paying off, as the Ford Motor Company has told The Detroit News that EcoBoost has really taken off on the showroom floor.

Ford just started offering EcoBoost in July, but the early returns show that customers are very interested in Ford's promise of V8 performance with V6 fuel economy. Lincoln MKS sales have been 30 percent EcoBoost, while the Taurus SHO is currently accounting for 20 percent off all sales of Ford's new large sedan. The MKT has only been on the market for a month, but early returns show that over 40 percent of customers want 355 horsepower in their giant crossover. The Ford Flex is seeing a 13 percent EcoBoost take rate, nearly double the expected 8 percent figure.

In fact, Ford says all four EcoBoost-equipped vehicles are exceeding expectations to date, and the engine tech also appears to be bringing in conquest customers at an accelerated rate. For example, an impressive 44 percent of Taurus buyers come from another OEM, while the number jumps to 54 percent with the EcoBoost-equipped Taurus SHO. The MKT has a similar 10 percent conquest boost courtesy of turbo power. And those conquest wins at the dealership also add to Ford's bottom line, as EcoBoost-equipped vehicles carry a $5,000 to $10,000 MSRP bump versus their naturally aspirated counterparts.

While the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine looks like an early success, the real turbo test comes when other, higher volume EcoBoost engines hit the market. Some future boosted Ford engines will come in 2.0-liter and 1.6-liter displacements, and the DetNews is reporting that a much smaller, 1.0-liter three-cylinder version is on the way for applications like the new Fiesta and Focus. Engines as small as 1.0-liter are sure to be an efficiency boon for the Blue Oval, with potential paybacks in the high 40 MPG range in the EPA highway cycle.

The next vehicles to receive EcoBoost will reportedly be the F-150 and Ford Explorer toward the end of next year. Ford is hoping to push the engine tech on 90 percent of its models within the next few years, with up to 1.3M global EcoBoost sales.

[Source: Detroit News]