I suggest you read up on the Duratec35 before assuming it's "just playing catch-up". It's at least one full generation above what Nissan and Toyota have on market. You can't just look at the horsepower number and conclude it's on-par with the competition.
It's been designed with every conceivable upgrade in mind right from the start. It's designed for higher-compression applications than other motors on the market and specifically designed for future addition of direct-injection and forced induction, and does it while being on the capable of meeting the most stringent of foreseeable emissions requirements. The addition of direct-injection alone (which Ford is getting experience in via Mazda right now) will make it 300+hp engine at no cost to Ford whatsoever.
It's got all the features that the competition is designing into their future motors now. It's not power that matters as much anymore, 300hp in a FWD sedan is plenty, particularly when the market for large motors in smaller cars is having the bottom fall out of it. The future isn't besting in power. It's delivering that power efficiently. What matters now is V6 motors that are highly configurable for particular applications, are good at both medium- and high-power applications and, more importantly, use modern technology to deliver that power at minimal fuel consumption and emissions.
It's a V6 that will make Ford capable of roughly the same thing that Nissan did -- a common motor that can cover virtually the entire lineup. Except Ford is using a better motor to do it with. Nissan was forced to start with a very capable motor, but it's truck-based roots become glaringly obvious in its' high-power applications. It's not quite the ideal motor to use in both sedans and sports cars.
I have done a fair amount of reading (as oddly enough I am involved in a similar discussion over on escape-central).
They said that it is designed for adding, direct injection, turbo-charging, hyrbridization and other technologies down the road. Yet, all of those techs are here today (and some, like turbos have been around a long time). IMO, if they wanted to make a big splash they should have put some of those things in the engine NOW.
AFAIK, Ford's market share is still slipping and this isn't going to bring many customers too them. Sure people might end up getting a Freestyle or something with the new engine (because it isn't underpowered any more) but they won't be stealing any competition from the Japanese (and now Korean) name plates, which is what they NEED to do.
"Bros before Hoes" <-- More men need this mentality.
