Report: Ford confirms U.S. availibility of EcoBoost three-cylinder Fiesta

Ford has unofficially confirmed that a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder-engined Fiesta will eventually be available in the U.S. Automotive News (sub. req.) claims this line of deductive reasoning is what led to confirmation:

• Production of the 1.0-liter engine starts in Europe in the spring of 2012.
• The three-cylinder engine will be offered in the United States, Ford powertrain executive Greg Johnson said last week.
• Ford says it fits only in its three global small cars: The Ka, Figo and Fiesta.
• Ford will not sell the Ka or Figo in the United States. The Ka, made at Fiat's Tychy, Poland, plant, is too small; and the India-built Figo is a Fiesta derivative aimed at developing markets.

Ford says the 1.0-liter, inline-three will be the smallest engine in automaker's lineup. Though no specific output or fuel economy figures have been revealed, Joe Bakaj, Ford's vice-president of global powertrain engineering, says the 1.0-liter EcoBoost will nearly match the performance of the automaker's 120-horsepower, 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, while boosting fuel economy. At this time, there's no specific date for the arrival of the three-cylinder Fiesta.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req. | Images: Copyright 2011 Drew Phillips / AOL]