Remember that Ford dealer conference we learned about last week from our friends at PickupTruck.com? That's the conference where we heard about the scoop on Ford's upcoming and long-rumored off-road Ford F-150 Raptor program. Well, there's a second scoop for us from the Ford forum fan-boys at F150Online, spotted by the quick-eyed folks at PUTC — the first unofficial shot of Ford's upcoming 4.4-liter V8 Diesel engine that we've heard will make it's way into the 2010 Ford F-150. We're also told we should expect it to get dropped beneath the rails of the 2010 Ford F-250 and 2010 Ford F-350 to serve as the base-level diesel engine available. And why shouldn't it? Supposedly, this smaller oil-burning V8 will give a 20% boost...
... in fuel economy, a 9% boost in power and a 15% boost in torque over an F-150 equipped with a 5.4-liter gas engine. That means the HP of this black-smoke engine should be somewhere around 340. Only problem is that owners will need to drop a load of urea into a special tank at each oil change. Mmm, that sweet, sweet smell of urea.
UPDATE: A closer inspection of the placard also indicates 4.4-liter diesel will find a home in the next Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition — of course we're still wondering about those rumors we'd heard about the 5.4-liter Trition V8. [PickupTruck.com]