2018 Ford F-150 Gets New Styling, Diesel Engine

The F-150 is by far the best-selling vehicle in Canada and in the United States, and yet Ford keeps piling on changes and improvements to preserve its utter domination. The 2018 edition of the full-size pickup will be officially revealed on January 9 at the Detroit Auto Show, and it features a refreshed exterior as well as enhanced powertrains.

The Ram 1500 added a small-displacement, turbo-diesel V6 engine a few years ago, and it’s become a popular choice with its combination low-rpm torque, good towing capacity and fuel efficiency. General Motors also added a turbo-diesel, four-cylinder engine to the options list of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon last year, so Ford couldn’t just stay idle, despite offering its twin-turbo, 2.7-litre gasoline V6.

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As a result, the 2018 Ford F-150 will gain a 3.0-litre, Power Stroke turbo-diesel V6. The automaker also announced that the 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 and the naturally-aspirated, 5.0-litre V8 have been revised, and although output hasn’t been specified for any one of these three powertrains, they will all be connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission. However, a new 3.3-litre V6 will serve as the base engine, and despite the same figures of 282 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque as the outgoing 3.5-litre V6, it should be more fuel-efficient. All engines, including the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6, will benefit from an auto start/stop feature.

Finally, the F-150 will get revised grille, headlamps, bumpers, tailgate and alloy wheels designs in addition to two new interior colour schemes in uplevel trims. The improved 2018 Ford F-150 will be on sale in the fall of 2017.