Consumer Reports criticizes small turbo engines for misleading performance, fuel economy claims [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan, Crossover, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai Consumer Reports has taken aim at at small-displacement, forced-induction engines, saying the powerplants don’t manage to deliver on automaker fuel economy claims. Manufacturers have long held that smaller, turbocharged engines pack all power of their larger displacement cousins with significantly better fuel economy, but the research organization says that despite scoring high EPA economy numbers, the engines are no better than conventional drivetrains in both categories. Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, says the forced induction options “are often slower and less fuel efficient than larger four and six-cylinder engines.” Specifically, CR calls out the new Ford Fusion equipped with the automaker’s Ecoboost 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine