Although selling in relatively small numbers – just over 1,000 units have been delivered in the U.S. – more buyers than expected are opting for Ford’s newest EcoBoost 1.0L three-cylinder when purchasing a Fiesta. The tiny engine is only available on the Fiesta SE and is exclusively paired with a manual transmission.
Despite those limitations, between 4 and 8 percent of Fiesta buyers are selecting the 1.0L EcoBoost each month. Those numbers essentially match the take rate for the high-performance Fiesta ST.
Moreover, most customers are actually ordering the three-cylinder Fiesta from the factory – dealers don’t typically stock the three-cylinder Fiesta, which can hit 45mpg on the highway.
Ford says the demand for the three-cylinder is actually higher than the sales number would reflect, but the company is having trouble getting supply from its engine plant in Germany. Most of the three-cylinder built in Germany are installed in vehicle destined for the European market, leaving the U.S. market with whatever is left.
“The 1-liter is positioned toward those who are more fuel-centric,” Wade Jackson, Fiesta marketing manager, told The Detroit News. “We can definitely go higher than we are right now.”
Although still not the norm, three-cylinders are picking up steam worldwide. General Motors has confirmed that it is working on a new three-cylinder engine and MINI’s latest Cooper comes equipped with a three-pot. Mitsubishi and smart also employ three-cylinders in their lineups.
Ford will expand the availability of its three-cylinder by adding it as an option to its Focus compact later this year.
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