At the Detroit Auto Show Ford announced that it would be launching nine new engines and six all-new, or significantly updated transmissions before 2011. What Ford did not directly address, however, was the possibility of a naturally aspirated V6 coming to the F-150 in addition to the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 scheduled for this year.
Ford has already made it known that the F-150 will soon be enjoying the benefits of an EcoBoosted 3.5-liter V6 spitting out V8-like power with V6-like fuel economy, but now PickupTrucks.com points to a second V6 for the F-150 – the 3.7-liter V6 found in the upcoming 2011 Mustang V6.
If the rumors are to be believed, then the F-150 will regain a base V6 for the first time since 2008, when Ford stopped offering a V6 engine for its F-150 lineup. This new V6 would likely churn out roughly the same 305 horsepower and 285 lb-ft. of torque as it does in the V6 Mustang. Compared to the last V6 to power the F-150 – an ancient 4.2-liter with 202 hp and 262 lb-ft. of torque – the new six-cylinder would provide for a substantial increases of 103 hp and 23 lb-ft. of torque.
Likely more important than the increase in power, are the fuel economy numbers for this potential base engine. Ford managed to turn out 19 city and 30 highway miles per gallon in the Mustang, thanks largely to the new 3.7-liter V6. We would expect that a 3.7-liter V6-powered F-150 will end up somewhere in the upper teens for the city, and mid-twenties for the highway rating.
Between the base V6, and the premium EcoBoost V6, Ford will be able to report a fairly substantial increase in its fuel economy numbers for its bread and butter – large trucks. Although the possibility of the F-150 gaining the 3.7-liter V6 is just a rumor at this point – this is the type of rumor we would consider putting money on.
