A Class Act: 2018 Ford F-150 Offers Best-In-Class Towing, Payload And Fuel Economy Ratings

Ford has released new details about the 2018 F-150, ahead of its launch this fall.

Describing the model as smarter and more capable than its predecessor, the automaker confirmed the facelifted truck will have a best-in-class fuel economy rating when equipped with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine which develops 325 hp (242 kW) and 400 lb-ft (541 Nm) of torque.

Thanks to several improvements and a new ten-speed automatic transmission, the truck has an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city / 26 mpg highway / 22 mpg combined. When four-wheel drive is selected, the fuel economy numbers drop slightly to 19 mpg city / 24 mpg highway / 21 mpg combined.

The improvements don't stop there as the upgraded 5.0-liter V8 engine enables the truck to have a best-in-class payload capacity of 3,270 pounds (1,483 kg). The engine produces 395 hp (295 kW) and 400 lb-ft (541 Nm) of torque and enables the model to return up to 17 mpg city / 23 mpg highway / 19 mpg combined.

Customers who do a lot of towing will want to check out the F-150 with the second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine which cranks out 375 hp (280 kW) and 470 lb-ft (636 Nm) of torque. The latter number "beats all diesel- and gasoline-powered competitors" and helps to give the truck a best-in-class towing capacity of 13,200 pounds (5,987 kg). Despite this, the engine is relatively frugal as rear-wheel drive variants have an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 18 mpg city / 25 mpg highway / 21 mpg combined.

The all-new 3.3-liter V6 engine doesn't get any best-in-class ratings but it's an improvement over the previous 3.5-liter V6. It produces 290 hp (216 kW) and 265 lb-ft (358 Nm) of torque which are increases 8 hp (6 kW) and 12 lb-ft (16 Nm), respectively. In terms of efficiency, owners can expect to get 18 mpg city / 23 mpg highway / 20 mpg combined.

Engines aren't the only big update on the 2018 F-150 as the truck will offer several unique features in the segment. Highlights include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection.

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