For 2010, Ford is adding a new EcoBoost engine to its Fusion lineup – a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The new EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine will make at least 230 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque.

What’s significant about the change is that it may be 10 hp down from the 3.0-liter V-6 offering but it offers 17 lb-ft more torque. It can be implied that the small EcoBoost engine, with its superior fuel economy, will likely replace the 3.0-liter V-6.The new 4-cylinder engine also has more horsepower and a similar amount of torque as the Mustang’s base 4.0-liter V-6. It is speculated that the EcoBoost engine could make its way into the Mustang, especially with Ford’s plans to double its 4-cylinder engine capacity and offer 4-cylinder engines on most models by 2012. The last time we’d seen a turbocharged I-4 Mustang was the limited-production SVO model in the late 1980s.

The EcoBoost I-4 will also find its way into the Edge crossover as well, possibly serve as a replacement for the Escape/Mariner’s 3.0-liter V-6, and could even be the base engine in the all-new 2011 Explorer. In addition to launching the new 4-cylinder EcoBoost to make its lineup more efficient, Ford will begin offering a more fuel efficient F-150 next year with a V-6 EcoBoost engine.