Ford Motor Company recently announced a fresh Taurus for the 2013 model year. What caught my attention was that it would be the first full-size car with a four-cylinder 2.0 liter engine that is expected to dish out 31 mpg on the highway, a considerable increase over the 2011 Taurus with a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 28 mpg.
I remember my Ford Taurus company car in the 1990s, with its underpowered four-cylinder engine, mustering a mere 90 horsepower. Our company car coordinator said we used four-cylinder cars because they got good mileage and were cheaper to insure. The new Taurus sports a fuel-efficient EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, but doesn't sacrifice power. Ford estimates that with the help of a turbo charger, the car will generate 237 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, on par with some of Ford's normally aspirated V6s.
General Motors has a similar game plan to boost mileage without sacrificing horsepower. It will equip its LaCrosse vehicles (a bit smaller than the Taurus) with a turbo charged four banger, as well. Both Ford and GM mate these tiny engines to six-speed automatic transmissions to maximize acceleration.
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