As you already know, Ford just recently showcased its new 2018 F-150, and among all others, the big novelty is that it is going to receive a diesel powerplant. Since the company didn’t reveal any of the official numbers regarding the diesel engine, we have to be inventive and dig for answers from under the hood of the Range Rovers.
You are probably asking, well how come? Ford apparently supplies both V8 and V6 diesel motors for Land Rover models, but this fact isn’t all that surprising since these two companies have been tied together at one point in time, and shared several components between them. This practice, of course, has continued even after the Land Rover was sold to Tata Motors, especially when the engines in question are higher displacement diesel units.
2018 Ford F-150 Diesel Engine
Now for some numbers. According to Automotive News the 3.0 L turbo diesel V6 that can be found in a few Land Rover SUVs (one of them is a Range Rover Sport), that is capable of producing 254 HP and 440 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to that the EPA rated this powertrain at 28 MPG, which is more than impressive especially when you consider the load it is hauling – 4,727 lbs.
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Now, we know that the 2017 F-150 has a weight range from 4,049 to 5,236 lbs, which is slightly more than what Range Rover has, but since the 3.0 diesel found in the Range Rover models is hooked up to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, Ford is hoping that they can boost the fuel efficiency even more if they hook up F-150’s diesel motor to a 10-speed automatic. That extra gearing in the 10-speed transmission will increase the fuel economy by 6% alone, at least that is what the automaker claims. What will further aid this endeavor is the new start-stop feature, and a lighter RWD configured truck.
With all of these pointers, it is safe to conclude that Ford is aiming at the Ram’s 3.0 L EcoDiesel that churns out 240 HP and 420 ft-lbs of torque, and all of that with an EPA rating of 29 MPG. Thanks to company’s multiple approaches to improving efficiency, the Ram’s fuel economy crown might just be taken by Ford. But, there is a but. The only downside to Ford’s plan is the cost, at least according to Automotive News, and they suggest in a report that this move will increase the cost of the truck for additional $10,000, and that is thanks to complicated emissions system that are necessary if you want to keep the diesel engine compliant.
But nevertheless, we believe that Blue Oval will do whatever it takes to make sure that the 2018 F-150 diesel meets the EPA regulations. If they manage to make the diesel’s MSRP competitive with the Ram’s EcoDiesel than the best choice between these two will definitely be the 2018 Ford F-150!
