2018 F-150 Is More Powerful and More Efficient Than Before

Lightweight parts, a new engine and a transmission upgrade give the new F-150 a solid value proposition, and are probably giving GM a bit of a nervous feeling. According to Fleet Owner, Ford cut around 700 pounds from the popular pickup to arrive at the updated model. Ford also added options to it's engine line, making sure to offer more V6 engines since most Ford F-150 drivers choose V6.

New Engine Options

A 3.3L V6 engine will be available in addition to the 3.5L that has been offered since the last iteration of the F-150. The new 3.3L will be more powerful, smaller and more efficient than the old 3.5L. Power-to-weight is expected to improve by 5%. There will be a new 3.5L engine as well, which will receive the same improvements.

The upcoming 2.7L EcoBoost option will be a 25 lb-ft improvement over the previous one and will operate with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 5.0L option will get 10 additional horsepower and a little extra torque from fuel injection improvements. It will operate with the aforementioned 10-speed transmission, a combination that wasn't available before.

Better Efficiency

While the 2018 F-150's upgrades are aimed at improving overall performance, the changes will probably net a better fuel economy. How much better, we don't yet know. Last year's F-150 was the most efficient full-size pickup on the market, getting around 19 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. The 2018 model should reach the 20s, even with the 3.5L engine.

But that's not the end of the news. Ford recently announced a 3.0L Power Stroke Diesel® engine for the F-150! It's unlikely that any other truck will top the efficiency of the 2018 F-150 with that particular engine. Highway mpg will be into the 30s. City mpg could reach into the high 20s.

A Facelift

The new Ford F-150 looks a lot like it has looked for several years. The big stylistic change, as usual, is the grill. The truck's new face looks tough and is fresh enough to let everyone know it's a brand new truck, while the rest of the vehicle hasn't changed much. Overall, a nice new look. Can't wait to give it a test drive!

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