Freshened 2018 Ford F-150 Gains Safety Features, Diesel Engine
America’s best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150, continues its ongoing evolution, with a styling update, new diesel engine, and more advanced safety features for 2018. On the near horizon is a hybrid variant, as well.
The current Ford F-150 marked a significant milestone for pickup trucks when it launched for 2013 by introducing the first aluminum-intensive design with the goal to boost fuel economy through weight savings. In the years since, Ford has continued to innovate, adding features to add convenience, luxury, and work-chore capabilities.
The latest round is highlighted by a styling freshening for 2018 with new bumpers, headlamps, grilles, and tailgates, but the significant changes will occur under the hood. The F-150 gains a new base 282-hp, 3.3-liter direct-injection V6. Although the displacement looks familiar, the 2.7-liter V6 will be a second-generation EcoBoost engine. The 2.7L and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will be teamed with a 10-speed automatic transmission for 2018. The naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 is updated, as well, with more horsepower and torque.
An all-new 3.0-liter diesel engine joins the range, adding a powerful powerplant with an eye on fuel efficiency. Mileage numbers have not been released.
Automatic start/stop is standard across the range to aid fuel economy.
On the electronics front, the F-150 gains pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, 4G LTE WiFi, and an uplevel B&O Play audio system.
The numerous changes promising fuel economy and safety gains sound quite positive. The move is not surprising, because despite the hype at the launch of this generation F-150, it didn’t deliver breakthrough fuel efficiency. Competition and tightening federal standards certainly motivate automakers to keep making powertrain advancements.
In addition to these updates announced at the Detroit auto show, Ford also revealed that an all-new Ranger pickup truck is coming for 2019, followed by a Bronco SUV for 2020. Both vehicles will be built in America.
The 2018 Ford F-150 goes on sale in fall 2017.
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