DEARBORN, MI – Ford Motor Company has improved the fuel economy of the 2007 Ford Focus. Powertrain engineers concentrated on the 2.0L inline four-cylinder, improving fuel mileage across the board. “The Focus engine was originally calibrated for emissions,” says Nicholas Schubeck, supervisor, Powertrain Calibration for Ford Motor Company. “We noticed during testing that we could get a lot better fuel mileage by making some adjustments to the calibration while still meeting emissions.” The team increased the engine’s spark and revised the exhaust-gas recirculation and intake manifold runner control (IMRC) schedules. The IMRC is a device on the intake manifold that increases the velocity of the air going into the cylinder at low speeds. Increasing air velocity helps in the proper air-fuel ratios. “The issue is that the system also creates a lot of pumping losses, which reduce fuel mileage,” Schubeck said. “By opening up the IMRC a lot earlier to reduce pumping losses, fuel mileage was increased.” This change, along with tire improvements, accounted for a three-mile-per-gallon improvement on the EPA highway fuel economy label for five-speed manual models, which now see 27 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway. The 2.0L automatic delivers 27 mpg in the city, 34 mpg on the highway. For 2007, the base Focus models come equipped with 14-inch Hankook tires that offer better rolling resistance than the 2006 model. Schubeck said customers will also notice an enhancement in performance. The extra engine spark improves acceleration, and the refinements to the engine have eliminated the hesitation that normally occurs when the air conditioning is in operation.