The 2.0-liter engine coming early next year to the North American version of the 2012 Ford Focus will be one of the first on the market to combine the technology of gasoline direct injection (DI) with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and E85 flex fuel capability.

The combination of these technologies helps make the dual-overhead-camshaft (DOHC) Focus four-cylinder one of the most powerful, fuel-efficient and refined engines in its class and one of the most advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powerplants Ford has ever offered. Horsepower is rated at 160 and torque at 146 lb.-ft., up from 140 and 136, respectively, in the 2011 Ford Focus.

Direct injection improves fuel economy and performance by delivering the precise amount of gasoline right into the combustion chamber. The advanced fuel injection system works in concert with Ti-VCT, which adjusts the valve timing for optimum performance, helping Focus achieve an estimated 40 mpg highway with automatic transmission. And flex fuel capability gives drivers the choice of using less expensive E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

The direct-injected 2.0-liter Ti-VCT I-4 also serves as another example of Ford delivering fuel economy leadership by using advanced technologies to produce surprising power from minimal displacement. The engine can deliver outstanding fuel economy and emissions along with the throttle response, performance and flexibility expected from a world-class engine.

"By combining direct injection and Ti-VCT, we've been able to make a quantum leap in fuel economy and performance," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. "We're meeting the goals of our global powertrain strategy, and we now have another key engine in our lineup."

The engine will be manufactured in Dearborn, Mich., at Ford's Dearborn Engine Plant.