We reported a few months ago that Ford’s 2017 F-150 was going to debut with a new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which was expected to make 365 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. Well, Ford just called me out of the blue to inform me that their power numbers are actually higher than initial estimates. Great news!
I was at a Ford event a couple months back where they showed off the engine, but only now do they have the official Society of Automotive Engineers numbers. I guess that’s why they gave me a ring.
More power equals more better: it’s known fact among car enthusiasts. So today, when Ford called me saying the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost was SAE certified at 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque—10 horsepower and 20 lb-ft more than initially estimated— I knew the world had become at least a slightly better place.
For reference, the current generation F-150's 3.5-liter EcoBoost makes 365 horses and 420 lb-ft, so this new motor adds 10 ponies and 50 lb-ft. Oh, and speaking of 50 lb-ft, that’s also how much more torque this new EcoBoost makes than Ram’s 3.0-liter diesel.
So yeah, the new engine should be a beast.
We still don’t have word on Raptor horsepower and torque figures, though Ford says those are coming soon. Also, Ford still doesn’t have any info on fuel economy figures, though this engine is being bolted to a 10-speed automatic instead of the outgoing six-speed, so we’d hope for at least some improvement over today’s MPG numbers—whether in the real world or on the label (preferably both).