Ford Will Trick Your Ears

One of the main reasons somebody would buy a small engine is for budgetary reasons: logically, Ford’s three-cylinder EcoBoost engine should consume less fuel than a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, right?

On paper, yes, but the reality doesn’t always follow the theory. According to the manufacturer’s research, drivers aren’t obtaining the promised fuel economy numbers because they don’t drive in an optimal manner. Why? Engineers think this has to do with the sound of their three-cylinder engine; the fact that this little 1.0-litre mill doesn’t have a conventional sound makes people rev it up more than they should before shifting gears.

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To help consumers achieve the official fuel economy numbers, Ford patented a new gizmo that will attempt to trick people’s ears.

This little device will be synchronised with the engine’s timing and will emit a single pulse between the firing of two cylinders. If the illusion is perfect, this should "double" the number of explosions you hear from the engine compartment and should make the 1.0L sound like a straight-six.

Obviously, this technology is aimed toward Europeans, who often choose small engines and a manual transmission—two concepts that are becoming increasingly rare in North America. It will be interesting to see in what vehicles this sound generator will be fitted and if it actually helps drop fuel consumption.