Ford's F-150 is the best selling
vehicle in America and has been for the past three decades. Thus, any
big changes that effect the fuel efficiency of Ford's massive
full-size trucks has an impact on hundreds of thousands of drivers'
wallets each year.
Thus is the case with the powertrain
lineup for the 2011 F-150. With looming
CAFE regulations requiring drastically improved fuel efficiency
from both cars and trucks, Ford is jumping the gun with an all-new
engine lineup consisting of two V6 engines (one naturally
aspirated, one turbocharged) and two V8 engines. To those that follow
the auto industry, most of these engines should sound familiar to
you.
The new
base 3.7-liter V6 is used in a variety of Ford vehicles (Mustang,
Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKT) and produces 300 hp @ 6,500 rpm and 275
lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm (max towing capacity 6,100 pounds) when
used in the F-150.
The new 5.0-liter V8 first showed up in
the 2011 Mustang GT, but is now making its way to the F-150.
Naturally, the engine has been upgraded to handle heavy loads and
manages to generate 360 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 380 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm (max
towing capacity 9,800 pounds).
The 6.2-liter V8 has already seen duty
in the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, but is now filtering its way down to
the rest of the lineup. The engine develops 411 hp @ 5,500 rpm and
434 lb-ft @ 4,500 (max tow capacity 11,300).
The last new engine is the wonderful
3.5-liter
EcoBoost V6 that is used in the Taurus SHO and Flex. Ford is not
giving official power/torque ratings for this engine yet, but it
generates 365 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 350 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm in the Taurus
SHO. Best of all, the engine runs on regular unleaded.
According
to the Detroit News, the EcoBoost engine will be a a step
above the 5.0-liter V8 in price and will equal
the towing capacity of the 6.2-liter V8 engine option.
According to Ford, with these new
engines and standard six-speed automatic transmissions across the
board, fuel economy will be increased by at least 20 percent compared
to comparable 2010 F-150 models. The Detroit News also says that some models may achieve 24 mpg.
“Truck customers demand an engine
that delivers outstanding low-speed torque to help tow or move heavy
payloads, and sustained high-load, low-speed operation is a key
attribute they look for,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president of
Powertrain Engineering. “The engine lineup for the 2011 Ford F-150
has been tuned specifically for truck operation needs and optimized
for fuel economy. The result is a lineup that delivers class-leading
towing and payload capability with outstanding horsepower, torque and
fuel economy.”
