With orders now open and trucks arriving this spring, Ford has pulled the cover off their new 2018 F-150 Diesel powered pickup trucks.
Announced last year, the light diesel powered Ford F-150 will arrive this spring as part of the 2018 model year with the company’s long proven 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel under the hood, packing 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque.
Topping the RAM EcoDiesel in those numbers, the new F-150 Power Stroke will also at least for now boast class-leading towing capacity of 11,400 pounds and payload of 2,020 pounds.
Mated exclusively to a 10-speed automatic transmission, the Ford designed and built 3.0 V6 has been built in the United Kingdom for over a decade and has powered Land Rovers and Jaguars for just as long.
For duty in the F-150 Ford says the same team that developed the 6.7 liter PowerStroke V8 made a host of changes to the 3.0-liter V6 including more robust internals for more severe duty. The entire top out of fuel injection, induction and turbocharging accouterments have been revised as well.
The common-rail fuel-injection system has higher pressure at now 29,000 psi and multi-event injectors have been added for quieter operation and better emissions. The Power Stroke also uses a different turbocharger than the Euro-spec engine and induction design is entirely unique.
One interesting addition is a conventional engine-driven fan which uses an electronically controlled viscus clutch. While electric fans can usually be far more effective, Ford is selling this as a bonus as it can offer better flow at high speeds. The back side is more noise and parasitic losses at those high speeds.
A unique variant of the 10-speed automatic transmission and unique axle ratios will take full advantage of the diesel engine’s 1,750 rpm peak torque. The ring gear and flywheel has been beefed up as well to make for better longevity with the standard engine auto start-stop system.
If you were hoping for an basic XL single cab F-150 diesel, don’t hold your breath. The new 3.0-liter Power Stroke will only be available in Super Cab and Crew Cab F-150 on Lariat trim grades and up to retail customers. You will have to be a fleet buyer to get and XL or XLT. The diesel will however be available with either two or four-wheel drive.
This is a reality that has to do with market forces. They only have so much diesel engine production so why not cash in on the top rungs of the buyer market instead of giving them away in low-profit plain-wrapper trucks.
Pricing for the 3.0-liter diesel will be around $4,000 on the Lariat trim grade and $3,000 on King Ranch and Platinum grades. Fleet pricing for XL and XLT is not yet announced.
Ford dealers will starting taking orders about right now for the 2018 F-150 Power Stroke diesels with deliveries later this spring.
