Ford’s new EcoBoost engine technology is heralded by the company as the key to finding a balance between power and economy, but buyers will have to wait more than a year for the first application of the new engine design. EcoBoost will be available towards the middle of next year in the Lincoln MKS sedan and Ford Flex crossover, but the Blue Oval envisages the technology one day appearing across its entire lineup.

The technology will be applied on everything from four-cylinders to V8s and will only cost consumers a premium of around $700, according to Automotive News. The information comes from Ford's advanced engine design manager Brett Hinds, who also revealed that the fuel savings from EcoBoost will enable buyers to recoup the premium paid for the technology within two years. Hinds estimates annual savings of about $340 when driving 15,000 miles per year with petrol priced at $3.25 a gallon.

EcoBoost technology combines turbocharging and gasoline direct injection. In initial testing Ford has found that a V6 with EcoBoost gets as much as 20% better fuel economy than a conventional V8 but with similar power levels.

Other initiatives Ford is planning to help reduce fuel consumption includes the introduction of six-speed transmissions with dual-clutch PowerShift technology, start-stop engines that shut off when the vehicle stops, electric power steering to even more vehicles, direct injection, Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing engines, and the introduction of more diesel models into the lineup.