Good news for buyers of LPG vehicles with Ford launching its new EcoLPi liquid injection system and Car Showroom has just driven a range of new Falcons fitted with the new technology.
The high quality factory-fit system replaces Ford’s previous E-Gas LPG technology and is available in Falcon XT, G6, G6E and XR6 models as well as Falcon Ute XL, R6 and XR6. Price is only $2,500 on top of equivalent petrol models (many buyers will be eligible for a $2,000 Government rebate meaning the actual cost will be only $500).
As the EcoLPi name suggests, unlike the previous venturi-vapour E-Gas set-up, Ford’s ground-breaking new system injects the LPG fuel as a liquid directly into the intake port. The result is better performance and convenience as well as reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
One of the key areas of improvement which LPG buyers will appreciate in the new EcoLPi Ford Falcon is improved hot and cold starting. The system employs a pre-prime mode which is activated when you first press the key fob button to unlock the doors – priming the fuel lines so they’re ready for a quick start regardless of the ambient or engine temperature.
Compared to Ford’s previous E-Gas LPG six-cylinder engine, the new EcoLPi version delivers 27 per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque – up to 198kW/409Nm. Fuel consumption and emissions are cut by 15 per cent – down to 12.5l/100kms and 203g/km.
Using LPG as a liquid means Ford’s engineers have been able to maintain much of the engine architecture of the 4.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine but even so, considerable changes required substantial development work. Even the ZF six-speed automatic required an upgrade.
The EcoLPi engine runs a higher compression ratio (12.0:1), new lightweight pistons, new fuel rail, fuel lines and fuel filters plus a recalibrated engine management system. As well there are new internals in the fuel tank and a new catalytic converter for the exhaust.
Inside, Ford has improved the accuracy of the fuel gauge so it’s on-par with petrol-powered Falcons (previous LPG cars attracted criticism for variable gauge accuracy) and the dashboard contains a display illuminated when the engine is priming prior to start.
Of course LPG-fuelled cars require modified fuel tanks which can come at a cost in terms of boot capacity. Ford Falcon EcoLPi customers who need maximum cargo space can choose either a smaller temporary spare wheel or neatly installed puncture repair kit/compressor (a full-size spare is also available – securely stored on the boot floor and covered with carpet).
Ford is the only manufacturer to offer Australian new car buyers the peace-of-mind of factory-fit LPG technology. In fact since launching the first dedicated system in 2000, Ford has sold more than 100,000 LPG Falcons.
During our day driving a variety of Ford Falcon EcoLPi models, Car Showroom was impressed by the extra performance and driveability. In fact Ford arranged for a straight standing start drag race at Melbourne’s Broadford race circuit where we drove both petrol and EcoLPi Falcons back-to-back and the EcoLPi version (with stronger torque at low-mid range) was demonstrably faster from a standing start to 120km/h.
Now let’s talk dollars. Compared to a petrol-fuelled Falcon, Ford reckons EcoLPi buyers will be in front on the ledger within six months of taking delivery of their LPG-fuelled Falcon (taking into account pump prices in the city).
The Falcon performance and space we love with the exhaust emissions of a small car…sounds good to us.
