When most people think about Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, they think about its ability to combine the power of a V8 and the fuel efficiency of a V6. But here’s another impressive combination the powerplant delivers: New buyers and higher customer satisfaction rates. Those two attributes together appeal to more people than just power or just fuel economy, according to Bristol Ford.
That’s the bottom line from a new Global Quality Research System study conducted by global marketing research firm the RDA Group.
According to that study, 100 percent of all customers who purchased an EcoBoost-powered Lincoln MKT indicated they were “satisfied with their engine’s performance, including power and pickup,” and 99 percent said they were “satisfied with the engine’s operation.” The numbers for the Lincoln MKS sedan with an EcoBoost engine are impressive as well: 91 percent of these drivers surveyed were satisfied with the engine’s performance; 94 percent were satisfied with its operation. Together, Ford says these are “some of the highest customer satisfaction scores ever for Lincoln.”
And just as significant as these ratings were the customers doing the rating.
“We are winning import buyers with EcoBoost,” says Amy Marentic, Ford’s North American group marketing manager for cars and crossovers. “Even better, this new customer is younger and more affluent.”
Another sign of the EcoBoost’s success is in its sales numbers. With the engine so far available in just four products—the Ford Flex, Ford Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKT and Lincoln MKS—more than 10,000 customers have checked the EcoBoost option on Ford products since August. The high demand is particularly noticeable among MKT purchasers, who are ordering the engine at a rate well beyond Ford’s expectations.
“The EcoBoost really delivers the best of both worlds,” says Los Angles Ford customer Joe Kent. “It’s as powerful as a V8, but consumes fuel like a V6, there’s nothing quite like it.”
But Ford is confident it will be able to keep up customer interest, and plans to expand its EcoBoost offerings to some 90 percent of its North American products in coming years. This will include the 2011 Ford Edge and next-generation Ford Explorer, which will be the first vehicles on the U.S. market to offer the company’s four-cylinder EcoBoost powerplant. In these applications, the 2.0-liter engine will develop the same kind of horsepower and torque as a V6, but also boast best-in-class fuel efficiency. Winning over longtime import drivers is critical to Ford’s success, Claremont Ford says.
Ford isn’t done there, either. The company just debuted a new small concept car that packs a three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. The design study, called the Ford START, may make it to production, but its engine definitely could be the beginning of something new for the automaker and customers alike.
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