Ford’s EcoBoost engines are among the seven wonders of the automotive world. After creating an award-winning three-cylinder 1.0 liter EcoBoost that gives much bigger four-bangers a run for their money, Ford is now releasing a 1.5 liter that makes an astonishing 178 horsepower.

The new engine will debut in the 2014 Ford Fusion. In that car it will be paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. As with other EcoBoost engines, this unit mixes direct injection with turbocharging, independent variable camshaft timing, aluminum block and cylinder heads, plus some Ford magic, to extract as much power as possible from its 1.5 liter capacity.

The engine has a peak torque of 240 Nm or 177 lb-ft, available from just 1,500 rpm. Low-end torque is essential in an EcoBoost engine. It is part of the reason why they are so economical. There are small engines that make their torque high in the rpm band, which means to reach it you have to rev the nuts of car. That kind of spoils the point of having the small engine.

The new 1.5 liter unit will replace the 1.6 liter unit in the fusion range. Do not despair though, you can still have the car with the 240 horsepower 2.0 liter engine.