Earlier this spring, Ford announced the 2017 F-150 pickup would offer a heavily revised and more potent version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 when it goes on sale this fall, but the just-released final output numbers are high than what the automaker had originally projected. This latest 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will develop 375 horsepower, 10 more than its current counterpart. But the major gain comes in peak torque, which rises from 420 to 470 lb-ft. That’s 20 more of those critical twist units than appeared in the preliminary spec sheet — sufficient to give it best-in-class bragging rights by surpassing the 460 lb-ft of GM’s 6.2-liter V8 used in the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
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As initially indicated, Ford’s redesigned 3.5-liter twin-turbo engine shares much of its upgraded technology with the EcoBoost V6 that will appear in the next-gen 2017 Raptor due in showrooms later this year. Beyond a new block and heads, key enhancements include Ford’s first use of a new port-plus-direct fuel injection system, Auto Start-Stop and more responsive turbochargers. The 2017 F-150 also ushers in the automaker’s new 10-speed automatic transmission that was co-developed with General Motors. Ford says this lighter-weight all-aluminum replacement for the existing 6-speed automatic will further leverage the upgraded acceleration and towing performance of the new EcoBoost engine by contributing to superior fuel economy figures, although formal EPA numbers have yet to be released.
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