Performance of a big naturally aspirated engine, fuel efficiency of a hybrid or diesel - this sums up the motive behind Ford's well received and award winning EcoBoost technology. The current 1.0-litre powertrain, small enough to fit in a suitcase, can generate as much as 122bhp. The engineers at Ford however are looking at increasing that number, with the use of high quality fuel available in Europe to as high as 150bhp - just 10bhp shy of a 1.4-litre Volkswagen Golf Sport or 1.8-litre Audi A3 Sportback

EcoBoost chief engineer, Andrew Fraser was speaking to Auto Express at the launch of the facelifted Ford Fiesta when he commented, "I've got my team working on an engine to see just how far we can push the unit in production trim."

He did admit there were engineering challenges ahead as churning out 150bhp from a tiny 1.0-litre on a dyno was easier said than done. Production liability, even in limited quantities, is still doubtful as the high powered powertrain should endure a full development process including tough endurance tests like engine operations from -40 to +50 degree Celsius temperatures.

Development challenges should be minimal as Ford's road going Formula Ford is powered by a 202bhp version of the similar 1.0-litre EcoBoost. The power output is courtesy of a larger turbocharger lifted from the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine (pictured in our gallery below) that is set to power the 180bhp Ford Fiesta ST next year.