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"It&amp;#039;s time to get down with the threesome. The newly refreshed 2014 Ford Fiesta is the first in a forthcoming crop of turbocharged three-cylinders (page 20), all of which promise more mpg. With three-quarters the reciprocating mass of a four-cylinder, threes offer a real shot at lower consumption. Also, they sound wicked. Acoustically, a good triple resembles a flat-six more than any other piston configuration, and Ford&amp;#039;s 999-cc Fiesta engine happens to be a very good triple. It&amp;#039;s a clever one, too, using simple counterweights rather than energy-sapping balance shafts to counteract a three&amp;#039;s inherent imbalance. The exhaust plumbing is cast into the head for quick warm-up; direct injection, variable valve timing, and a microscopic turbo work together to keep throttle response within reasonable levels. Turbo lag is certainly there, but in a car this light, it&amp;#039;s not excruciating. Vibration is well-controlled, even at idle with the A/C on\u2014no small feat\u2014but since a three-cylinder fires less frequently than engines with higher piston counts, it&amp;#039;s less smooth when under load at low engine speeds. It&amp;#039;s best to keep revs above 2000 rpm.   The abundant turbo torque makes this engine a more laid-back piece than the base Fiesta&amp;#039;s normally aspirated 1.6-liter four, which makes similar power but 25 percent less torque. And Ford promises that the 1.0-liter will beat the 1.6&amp;#039;s 29/39-mpg EPA rating. Strangely, the new three will be paired only with a manual transmission; a torque-converter automatic would do a better job of masking turbo lag and smoothing out the engine&amp;#039;s vibration. The lack of a slushbox will limit this Fiesta&amp;#039;s appeal, but the slick-shifting stick should return great fuel mileage: We averaged 35 mpg while beating the snot out of it.  Downsizing and turbocharging is today&amp;#039;s favored trend for saving fuel, and the next logical step is cutting cylinder counts. If that sounds painful, remember: An inline-three is effectively half a Porsche 911 engine.  PRICE $16,000 (est) POWERTRAIN 1.0-liter I-3, 123 hp, 148 lb-ft; FWD, five-speed manual WEIGHT 2550 lb (est) EPA CITY/HWY 39/44 mpg (est) ON SALE Fall 2013  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a3980/drives-2014-ford-fiesta-ecoboost/>