Ford Motor Company and PSA Peugeot Citroën have announced the fourth phase of their diesel engine co-operation with the launch of two new units, one for commercial vehicles, one for passenger cars.

The two third-generation 2.2-litre common rail diesel engines have been tailored specifically to the needs of their respective target markets. They share the same displacement, but are markedly different in terms of technology and outputs.

Lewis Booth, executive vice president of Ford Motor Company, and Jean-Folz, chief executive of PSA Peugeot Citroën, describe the co-operation as one of the most successful engine development programmes in the car business today.

They add: “These are some of the best diesel engines on the road today and they feature in small, medium and large cars in both premium and non-premium markets.

This announcement adds commercial vehicles to the impressive mix and a premium four cylinder engine for passenger cars that was not planned initially in this fourth phase.”

Ford will begin production of the Duratec LCV engine from its Dagenham plant this month, while PSA Peugeot Citroën will produce the premium high-output car unit for both companies from its Trémery plant in France from January next year. Production targets for both engines is 200,000 a year.

The dual overhead cam, in-line four cylinder, 16–valve commercial unit will be offered in five configurations: 85bhp, 100bhp, 110bhp, 120bhp and 130bhp. The engine has been developed to minimize overall weight and decrease emissions.

Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroën say that, uniquely for a commercial vehicle engine programme, the development of these engines used ‘real world’ data taken from customers’ vehicles around Europe using data loggers. These were installed in vehicles for between six to 12 months and the data collection monitored key parameters.

The new 2.2-litre HDi/TDCi car engine – in variable geometry single turbo (154-168bhp) and fixed geometry twin-turbo (167bhp) – is designed to combine the excitement and driveability of the best 2.5-litre diesel engines with superior environmental performance.

Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroën are claiming a world first by offering a four-cylinder diesel engine with parallel sequential dual turbo (BMW’s 535d 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine is six-cylinder). A small, low-inertia turbo means the engine is responsive at low revs. Since it is too small to cover the entire engine operating range, a second turbo of the same size kicks in at 2,700rpm.

The partners will have built more than four million diesel engines between 2002 and 2005. The latest engines are the culmination of three years’ co-development and a joint investment of €332m (£227m).