Sophisticated Engine and Transmission Combo Takes Back Seat to No Rival
Executives at Ford Canada are getting a bit testy about their 3.0-litre V6, among other things, and at least with regards to the
venerable powerplant it's for good reason. While the Duratec 30 has been around for a long time, and every auto writer in North America has been questioning ad nauseam when an update will be made available, it should be noted that Ford was the first domestic, and ahead of many imports in introducing 24-valve, DOHC technology to the entry-level field. So, it only makes sense that it would be the last to get updated among the Big 3.
But hold on. Talk to a blue oval powertrain specialist, something I had the opportunity to do in Dearborn this week, and he/she will make it very clear the Duratec V6 sold today is not the same mill offered when the Contour debuted, the first vehicle to get the engine way back in 1995 in 2.5-litre guise. The 3.0-litre variant came next, in 1996, fitted to the Taurus.
While still sporting 3.0-litres, it has been refined for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, emissions reductions and fuel economy enhancements,
and improved horsepower and torque, now sporting up to 221-horsepower and 205 lb-ft of torque in its most powerful iteration.
Despite putting out more power than the old 5.0-litre V8 found in the Mustang GT of less than ten years ago, 221-horsepower isn't going to win over subscribers to the "mine is bigger than yours" crowd, an attitude prevalent in today's domestic auto market. Most North American car, truck and SUV buyers won't spend the time to test, or even read detailed accounts about a given car's acceleration and/or fuel economy and emissions capabilities, so therefore a vehicle like Ford's Freestyle, which while only producing 203-horsepower via its Duratec 30 powerplant manages to bypass the 250-horsepower Chrysler Pacifica in side-by-side sprints to 100 km/h. At the same time it burns less gasoline and is nicer to the environment.
Executives at Ford Canada are getting a bit testy about their 3.0-litre V6, among other things, and at least with regards to the
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| Ford's 3.0-liter Duratec 30, shown here in a Five Hundred, can be found in everything from the blue oval brand's new Fusion, Lincoln's Zephyr, Ford of Europe's Mondeo, England's Jaguar X-Type, and some miles away Japan's Mazda6. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But hold on. Talk to a blue oval powertrain specialist, something I had the opportunity to do in Dearborn this week, and he/she will make it very clear the Duratec V6 sold today is not the same mill offered when the Contour debuted, the first vehicle to get the engine way back in 1995 in 2.5-litre guise. The 3.0-litre variant came next, in 1996, fitted to the Taurus.
While still sporting 3.0-litres, it has been refined for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, emissions reductions and fuel economy enhancements,
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| Ford's Freestyle, which while only producing 203-horsepower via its Duratec 30 powerplant still manages decent get-up-and-go. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
Despite putting out more power than the old 5.0-litre V8 found in the Mustang GT of less than ten years ago, 221-horsepower isn't going to win over subscribers to the "mine is bigger than yours" crowd, an attitude prevalent in today's domestic auto market. Most North American car, truck and SUV buyers won't spend the time to test, or even read detailed accounts about a given car's acceleration and/or fuel economy and emissions capabilities, so therefore a vehicle like Ford's Freestyle, which while only producing 203-horsepower via its Duratec 30 powerplant manages to bypass the 250-horsepower Chrysler Pacifica in side-by-side sprints to 100 km/h. At the same time it burns less gasoline and is nicer to the environment.