The 2017 Ford F-150 will pair a brand-new 10-speed automatic transmission to the truck’s top engine option: a revised version of the 3.5 EcoBoost twin turbo V6. Ford claims this will allow the 2WD truck to hit 25 MPG on the highway. That’s actually a lot for something with this much mass and power.
Along with four more gears, 2017 F-150 3.5-liter EcoBoost trucks have a factory-claimed 10 horsepower and 50 lb-ft of torque output increase from the old version of the engine.
That puts the 3.5 EcoBoost engine’s new specs at 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Ford cites direct-injection fuel delivery, a lighter crank, a new valvetrain setup, redesigned turbos with an electronic wastegate and a variable-displacement oil pump as to where the new-found power and efficiency comes from.
The 3.5 EcoBoost “high output” version, reserved for the F-150 Raptor, is even more aggressive with a claimed output of 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. That truck is rated to 15 MPG city, 18 MPG highway and 16 MPG in combined driving.
Ford tells us the 3.5 EcoBoost currently makes up “60 percent of F-150 sales,” but conservatives can rejoice– the 5.0 V8 has survived another year. That engine is rated to 385 horsepower, 387 lb-ft of torque and tops out at 22 MPG on the highway.
The F-150's “maximum economy” play is still the 2.7 EcoBoost V6 introduced with the new aluminum body style in 2015, but not by much. With a top rating of 26 MPG in highway driving, I would think Ford will be looking at ways to stretch it soon to avoid redundancy with the bigger turbo engine.