Vehicle Spotlight: 2018 Ford F-150
Two-Headed Monster
Are you ready for new Denis Leary-narrated advertising about kicking your workday in the throat? Well hold on to your hardhats, bucko, because the 2018 Ford F-150 is here and brought along its jacked-up and tattooed twin, Diesel.
All kidding aside, many of those who’ve stuck with Ford over the years will finally receive what they’ve always wanted: diesel-fueled reliability. For the first time ever, the Ford name will make that option available for the 2018 Ford F-150, and things are looking good thus far. A 3.0L Power Stroke turbodiesel V6—how’s that for a debut? Exact towing capability and other specs have yet to be officially released by Ford, but it’s a safe bet that it will compete with the likes of the RAM 1500 and Chevy Silverado. But who knows, with a diesel option, this rig will be up for some pretty heavy-duty competition.
Ford’s diesel production hasn’t been receiving all of the attention, though. Because the gasoline engine of the 2018 Ford F-150 has its share of alterations as well. The standard 3.5L V6 is now a 3.3L, but according to Motor Trend, now has a twin-injection system (port and direct). And with this addition, the F-150’s 282 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque remain the same as the 2017 model.
And for those in the middle of the “Environmentally Conscientious and More Power, Please” Venn Diagram, there’s the EcoBoost V6. This 2.7L option has the aforementioned twin-injection system, too. And there is also a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 if the driver is looking for just a little more oomph. Luckily the latter option touts 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque to suit their needs. Yeah, boyy.
2018 Ford F-150 – Above And Beyond
Ford continues to make significant strides with its vehicles in safety, too. It has a reputation for consistently scoring well with IIHS; it appears that the 2018 model made safety a priority as well, upholding that tradition. The new 2018 Ford F-150 features precollision assist with pedestrian detection, which first alerts the driver and then brakes the vehicle to decrease impact, and adaptive cruise control now features stop-and-go traffic-jam cruising.
If you’re paying the nearly $30,000 price tag for all the updates under the hood, they better be worth it. Right? To ensure that is in fact the case, Ford (sort of) stole a page from their own playbook. Mimicking the power of cousin F-150 Raptor, Ford made the ten-speed transmission available in the regular F-150, too. Though ten-speed is only offered with the 3.5L EcoBoost, this is a sign of good things to come. Because of its place among the working class, versatility is key. With ten gears, comes more power, and with more power comes bigger, diversified workloads. Plus, the ten-speed is collaboration between GM and Ford, so clearly this move will be given enough time to at least see the investment through.
