After witnessing the extraordinary success of Ford’s 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine, more and more car makers are working on similar units. Opel’s 3-Cylinder engine is now ready to roll, and a new version of the Adam city car is the first model to get it.

Just like Ford’s engine, the one made by Opel/Vauxhall has a 1 liter displacement, three cylinders, direct injection, and a tiny little turbochargers. As always, Opel is generous with power, tuning this engine at 115 PS and 166Nm of torque, which are on the par with 1.6 liter four-cylinder units.

Working with an all-new six-speed gearbox in the Adam, the new engine will provide satisfactory performance and excellent fuel economy. That is the whole point of employing a microscopic engine, after all. While official fuel consumption and CO2 ratings are yet to be confirmed, it is obvious that this engine is int eh sub 100 g/km category CO2-wise. A fair guess about the average consumption would be something in the neighborhood of 70 UK mpg.

Despite its small size, the new powertrain is an engineering marvel, featuring many high-end technologies such as special coves, unique intake manifolds, six-hole fuel injectors, an aluminum block, a balancer shaft in the oil sump, and…

The three-cylinder Opel Adam will make its debut at the 2013 IAA in September.