2018 Ford F-150 Debuts With New Diesel Engine and More Tech

Jodi Lai
by Jodi Lai

Just ahead of its hometown auto show in Detroit, the refreshed 2018 Ford F-150 was revealed with more technology, a new diesel engine, and a segment-first 10-speed transmission.

The biggest news with the 2018 Ford F-150 is the availability of an all-new 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel engine, which marks the first time the popular pickup is offered with a diesel. Although output for this new engine has not been fully revealed, expect it to be both fuel efficient and well-suited for towing.

The refreshed truck also replaces the base 3.5-liter V6 with a more efficient 3.3L unit that is expected to offer the same 282 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque as the engine it replaces. The second-generation 2.7L EcoBoost also gets tweaked for better efficiency, more output, and better durability and will be paired with the new 10-speed transmission. Not to be left out, the 5.0L V8 also gets upgraded for higher output and will also be hooked up to the new 10-speed. Ford has not yet announced specific output for the upgraded engines but has confirmed that stop/start will be standard on all F-150s.

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ALSO SEE: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Review

A hybrid F-150 has also been confirmed to arrive in 2020.

In the looks department, the F-150 gets some tweaks to the front and rear styling with a new grille, new headlights, tail lights, and revised bumpers that combine to give the truck a wider, more planted stance. The tailgate also gets a new look and the truck gets six new wheel designs.

Bringing the truck up to speed on the safety front, the 2018 Ford F-150 finally gets available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring optimized for trailering, a 360-degree camera (sure to help with parking and hooking up a trailer), and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

A 4G LTE wifi hotspot that can connect up to 10 devices is also available, and SYNC and SYNC3 also enable Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The 2018 Ford F-150 goes on sale this fall, which is when pricing will also be announced.

Jodi Lai
Jodi Lai

Jodi has been obsessed with cars since she was little and has been an automotive journalist for the past 12 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and a jury member for the prestigious North American Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY). Besides hosting videos, and writing news, reviews and features, Jodi is the Editor-in-Chief of AutoGuide.com and takes care of the site's day-to-day operations.

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  • Smartacus Smartacus on Jan 08, 2017

    i'm impressed. the 2nd gen 2.7 is getting more power and efficiency, AND durability? AAAND paired with the new 10-speed transmission?

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    • Sukhoi31m3 Sukhoi31m3 on Mar 12, 2017

      I wouldn't be surprised to see Ford cut the naturally aspirated 3.5 V6 F150 base engine in favor of the turbo'd 2.3 engine in the Mustang tuned for truck duty. In the Mustang it produces more torque than the NA 3.5 so it wouldn't surprise me to see them do it. That 4 cylinder in the huge engine bay of an F150 would make for lots of room when maintaining it.

  • Abdullah Abdullah on Jan 20, 2017

    2.7 liter twin-turbo ? In other words a shameless half-assed ripoff of an Audi 2.7tt 30-valve engine from B5/C5 platforms. The Audi variant was good for ~400 bhp and 450 tq. Wonder what the Ford will be able to squeeze out.

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    • Sukhoi31m3 Sukhoi31m3 on Mar 07, 2017

      I have a 2011 Ecoboost FX4 that has 101k miles on it with nothing done to it except oil and filters, air filters and plugs. I switched it over to a Euro oil (Castrol Edge 0w40) after the warranty went away and that's it. Best truck I ever owned. I live at 5600ft elevation and it'll hit 100mph so fast that when the computer shuts it down, it feels like brakes were slammed on. Since they came out I've had 4 EB vehicles, the latest one in the wife's '17 Expedition. No problems with any of them. If I ever decide to replace my FX4 I'm going to order a single cab, 6.5' bed XL with the 2.7 and 3:73 gears. Should prove interesting.....

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