SPIED: 2017 Ford F-150 Diesel; Have Your Hybrid and Burn Oil, Too

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

That’s clearly a diesel gurgle coming out of that F-150’s lightly camo’d buttock.

If our ears are to be believed, that would be the pending fulfillment of a prophecy made here two years ago: Ford is preparing a light-duty diesel to sell by 2018.

I have so many questions to ask: What about EcoBoost? Where does that oil burner come from?

The latter question may be our first answer. Ford developed a 3-liter diesel V-6 with Land Rover that is now used in a bevy of JLR and Citroen products — dubbed Lion — so the parts are in the corporate pantry, so to speak. (There’s even a 3.8-liter V-8 block used in Range Rovers.)

It’s likely that the diesel would be mated to Ford’s new 10-speed transmission for extra long legs.

Is this a play at the top-end truck market for the truck buyer who needs to have every option ticked? Or is Ford’s coming diesel the work truck that seems to be forgotten in today’s Hauling Class™ luxury truck market?

I thought EcoBoost was supposed to be the mileage king. Judging by the video, we’ll have our answer soon enough.

Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Thornmark Thornmark on Jan 28, 2016

    Ford is using the Powerstroke 3.2 I5 in the Transit and Winnebago adds an RV w/ same.

  • Big Al from Oz Big Al from Oz on Jan 28, 2016

    This is a real positive move by Ford, a F-150 that might be actually worth owning. Except I would like to see a 6spd manual version as well. Ford needs the diesel to offset it's EcoThirst engines. I do know the advocates of those socialised forms of motive traction, ie, hybrid and EV will not like this. But with all of the additional hurdles diesel engines face in the US diesel is the best and cheapest option to meet current and mid term CAFE/EPA requirements.

    • See 13 previous
    • Mason Mason on Jan 29, 2016

      @Big Al from Oz Big Al, I agree on the Ecoboost assessment. Great little engines for sports cars and light bodied hot rod grocery getter pick ups. I've rode shotgun in a few long haul fishing and hunting trips pulling loads that equate to 60-70% of the trucks published ratings and quickly came to the conclusion that these are over rated engines per Fords numbers.

  • Mason Mason on Jan 28, 2016

    I'm curious where the "Diesel is dead in NA" crowd is right now. It wasn't too long ago there was a pretty strong cult on TTAC.

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    • Mason Mason on Jan 29, 2016

      @Scoutdude "Just because Ford has a test mule on the street doesn’t mean that it is going to make it to production or even if the engine in that truck is being tested for that application." You guys said the same thing about the Ram Eco Diesel. And the GC Eco Diesel. And the Colorado D Max.

  • Mikeg216 Mikeg216 on Jan 28, 2016

    I would like to see the duratorq in a pickup, there's just something so right about an inline engine in a truck. I miss my 95 straight six dearly

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