Ford Motor Co. has unveiled a new diesel powertrain and detailed a new flexible engine manufacturing system it says is helping cut costs while improving efficiency and quality. The six-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine will be introduced in the middle of the 2003-model year for the F-Series Super Duty pickup and Excursion sport/utility vehicle. Built by the International Engine Group of Navistar International, the engine will offer up to 10 percent better fuel economy and 20 percent lower emissions than current diesel engines, according to Dave Szczupak, vice president of powertrain operations. Ford also announced it will build a new five-speed automatic transmission that will be part of the diesel engine's powertrain. The transmission, called TorqShift, will be standard on vehicles equipped with the Power Stroke engine. Ford says it plans to build the TorqShift at its Sharonville, OH, transmission plant outside Cincinnati. According to Ford, the new powertrain will produce 325 hp at 3,300 rpm and 550 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,000 rpm for increased load and towing capacity. Ford says it is also looking to increase quality through its flexible powertrain manufacturing system. The centerpiece is its new I-4 engine. Designed in conjunction with Mazda Motor Corp., the inline, four-cylinder engines eventually will replace up to eight different Ford and Mazda architectures, Szczupak said. According to Ford, the engines can be built in configurations from 1.8 to 2.3 liters and can be designed in up to 100 different derivatives.