Ford Dishes Specs on New 3.0-liter Diesel F-150

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Not willing to cede any pickup ground to its rivals, Ford Motor Company will soon open orders for a light-duty diesel pickup. Under the hood of its F-150, the Blue Oval’s new 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel V6 promises class-leading fuel economy (in a very small class) and greater towing capacity than its Fiat Chrysler competitor.

The model’s trailer-yanking potential is the result of the latest battle in the great, ongoing Torque War.

With 250 horsepower on tap and 440 lb-ft of torque delivered at 1,750 rpm, Ford’s light-duty diesel tops the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel (currently available as a 2017 model) by 10 hp and 20 lb-ft. Its towing capacity — 11,400 pounds — beats the Ram by 2,110 lbs, while a payload capacity of 2,020 lbs is some 380 lbs greater than the EcoDiesel.

Power and hauling prowess is one half of the diesel equation, but it isn’t as marketable if fuel economy isn’t up to snuff. Ford claims an EPA-estimated 30 mile-per-gallon highway figure — presumably for a rear-drive variant. That earns it the title of most fuel efficient F-150, as well as leader in the light-duty class.

Ram’s EcoDiesel took a fuel economy haircut after the EPA revamped its testing regimen, meaning the model currently rates a 27 mph highway figure. Earlier models carried a rating of 28 mpg highway, with the HFE model aero’d out for a 29 mpg figure.

Helping Ford’s quest for the efficiency crown is the model’s recent weight loss and the addition of a 10-speed automatic transmission. A start/stop system comes standard.

Yes, it’s the stuff “that dreams are made of,” claims Dave Filipe, Ford’s vice president of global powertrain engineering. The crew tasked with finessing the continually improved 6.7-liter Power Stroke put their skills to use in crafting this engine, with plenty of technology carryover between the two. A variable-geometry Honeywell turbocharger aims to reduce lag, while the engine’s compacted-graphite iron block material and forged steel crank come straight from the 2.7-liter EcoBoost bin.

While Ford gets in on the aero game with dual radiator shutters, it doesn’t let the drag-reducing feature sacrifice performance. The shutters stay closed at moderate loads but pop open during hard uphill climbs to aid the engine-driven fan.

“We know that competing diesels with electric cooling fans have to dial back on power under extreme heat and altitude, so we decided on a viscous-controlled mechanical fan that has the capacity to move much more air across the radiator and intercooler in extreme conditions,” said David Ives, Ford diesel engine technical specialist. “This gives F-150 Power Stroke owners more power and more passing capability in harsh conditions.”

You’ll have to wait for official pricing. Certainly, there’ll be a premium attached — no doubt the greatest of the model’s six-engine lineup. Orders open in a couple of weeks, with the first F-150 diesels arriving on dealer lots this spring.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • OzCop OzCop on Jan 08, 2018

    I just purchased a new 2017 Laramie Ram EcoDiesel last week in Fort Worth. I have friends who have them and have been extremely satisfied with their reliability and the fuel mileage. Theirs are rear drives, mine is 4 Wheel with 2 wheel button. I left Dallas with it yesterday afternoon, and am currently sitting in a motel in Hopkinsville, KY on a business trip. I averaged 24 mpg and only had to fill up once before I got here. Truck now has just under 1200 miles. I fought a head wind, and rain for more than half the distance to get here, so I'm thinking the mileage will improve on the way home Wednesday. So far, loving the torque feel, although the fuel mileage was only marginally better than on the Hemi Longhorn I traded in. Loving the quiet diesel as well. I didn't realize how many creature comforts I was giving up going from a Longhorn Laramie to a Laramie...missing the odor of real leather...The deal on this thing was fantastic, with a list of 57 plus K, discounted to 42,150...tough to turn that down even though it IS a leftover 17...

    • Spamvw Spamvw on Jan 09, 2018

      OzCop, Not sure of the range on your tank. but don't forget to add some winter fuel, KY is going to get cold this weekend...

  • Tele Vision Tele Vision on Jan 08, 2018

    Perhaps I don't read numbers so well but my 2010 F-150 makes 320hp and 390lb/ft. More than enough to tow my boat, which weighs more than what I see 99.9% of F-150 drivers towing - which is nothing at all. Again, without resorting too much to numbers ( English Major here ), for the anticipated pricing of both the new truck and the Diesel option I'd think one could buy three 2010 XLT SCabs with the 5.4L and burn them out on the cheaper gasoline and still be ahead of the curve that introduces EV trucks.

    • DenverMike DenverMike on Jan 08, 2018

      Since when does anything regarding all but a basic pickup, have to make sense? A huge reason for picking a diesel pickup involves engine braking, and the piece of mind knowing you're better equipped to handle a strong headwind with a high-profile trailer or whatever gets thrown at you. Engine specs don't tell the whole story, although I feel right at home pushing gas V8s to the breaking point (the don't) and love a lot of things about diesels, as long as the truck payment is in someone else's name.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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