Factory-backed Ford F-150 pick-up coming next year will be V6-only – two cylinders short of its rivals…
Ford Australia is confident it made the right decision to forego a V8 engine option for its Ford F-150 and instead choose a V6 for the big US-built full-size pick-up that will reach dealerships by mid-2023.
That’s in stark contrast to its two major rivals in Australia, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and RAM 1500, which both offer only a traditional V8 petrol engine through their similar factory-backed local right-hand drive remanufacturing operations.
V8 versus V6 has as much to do with psychology and public perception as it does raw numbers, but let’s look at the figures before hearing Ford’s explanation in response to our questions at the announcement of the right-hand drive program this week.
The Aussie-market 2023 Ford F-150 will launch with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 petrol engine that produces a healthy 298kW (400hp) of power and a solid 678Nm of torque.
It’s paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and will offer a 4500kg braked towing capacity.
By comparison, GMSV’s Chevy Silverado has a more powerful, but less torquey, 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine (dubbed EcoTec3) that produces 313kW/624Nm and also mates with a 10-speed auto.
RAM Trucks Australia’s RAM 1500 uses a smaller-capacity 5.7-litre HEMI V8 that delivers 291kW/556Nm and drives through an eight-speed automatic.
Both the RAM 1500 and the Silverado have a 4500kg braked towing capacity.
And there’s one more key engine in all of this – the 5.0-litre Ti-VCT V8 that’s available to American F-150 buyers and, via a 10-speed auto, delivers the same 400hp as the V6 but considerably less torque at 556Nm.
That’s the same pulling power as the top-selling RAM, though, and we’d expect Ford Australia would have no problem ensuring a 4500kg towing capability with the V8.
The Blue Oval brand is adamant, however, that the V6 is the way to go, pointing to all that extra torque and claiming it’ll be more fuel-efficient over its V8 rivals, which remains to be seen in an Aussie context.
Ford Australia’s global trucks enterprise product line manager Natalie Manariti told carsales: “When we were looking at the F-150 powertrain option it [EcoBoost V6] was a really clear standout solution for us.
“The EcoBoost V6 is actually the number-one engine in North America, so out of all the US customers, they pick the EcoBoost V6 as the number-one choice.
“And it really is because of its power and torque that makes it the ‘tow and haul’ engine of choice.
“When we think about the application of this product in this market and what our Aussie customers want in a full-size pick-up truck, the research told us it had to be the most powerful vehicle, the most capable vehicle, to be able to tow their big toys. And that’s why we chose the EcoBoost V6.
“So I’m pretty confident we’ve made the right choice for our customers.”
However, when asked whether the V8 and other options – including a V6 hybrid and diesel – had been ruled out, Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic told carsales there should be scope to revise the powertrain mix down the track.
But he, too, remains confident in the EcoBoost V6.
“We think we’ve picked the right powertrain,” he said.
“Yes, we looked at all the options and you have to make a decision. Given our [production] volume we’re not going to have too much complexity for our customers and our dealers and for us.
“So we believe we’ve got the right option and we’re looking forward to bringing that to market.”
Manariti added: “As AB [Andrew Birkic] has said, let’s get the car into the country, let’s kick off this process – the first for Ford globally – and then, yep, we’re absolutely open to opportunities.”
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Keyword: Ford F-150: Why no V8 for Australia?