Ford adding diesel engine, other features to F-150

The new truck will make its live debut during Fox’s NFL Wild Card pregame show this afternoon, before moving to Joe Louis Arena for Ford’s North American International Auto Show press conference on Monday morning.

A new sculpted tailgate with deeper accent form and stamped “F-150” are flanked by new tail lamp designs.

Inside, there’s now two new seating trim options.

Inside are some new seat colours: Dark Marsala in the F-150 Platinum and Navy Pier for the range-topping F-150 Limited, carbon-fibre look highlights for XLT Sport and Lariat Sport grades and the King Ranch variant scores new Kingsville Appointed seats.

The technology has been bumped up, too.

The updates for the F-150 continue with the addition of pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking for the existing forward collision warning system and an adaptive cruise control system upgraded with stop-and-go capability.

Ford is also claiming this will be the “best-towing F-150 ever”, aided in part by strengthening the rear frame and improving how the hitch is attached.

The new model will also have an available Wi-Fi hot spot that can accommodate up to 10 devices, and will offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

The new F 150 for 2018 will also see upgrading in techie features.

The 2018 F-150 gets a new face – seven new faces, in fact. The current gasoline 3.5-litre V6 will also be going, replaced by a 3.3-litre V6 with direct-injection and the same horsepower and torque – 282 hp and 253 lb. -ft. First off, there’s an all-new, standard 3.3-liter V6 engine that features direct-injection for increased efficiency.

Also on tap for the 2018 F-150 will be a new 3.3-liter V6 engine. The turbodiesel, both EcoBoosts, and the 5.0-liter V8 are all paired with the new 10-speed automatic transmission co-developed with GM.

Ford said it will have 13 “electrified” vehicles over the next five years, thanks to a US$4.5-billion investment, including electric versions of its top-selling F-150 pickup and the Mustang, along with a high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle (without steering wheel, gas or brake pedals).

For the 2018 model year, America’s favorite pickup truck receives a massive update, one that involves the first diesel powerplant in the history of the F-150 (not the first to power an F-Series truck, though). Ford says a private study by conducted by KPMG found that each shuttle could reduce congestion by up to 25 fewer vehicles. Despite shedding hundreds of pounds with its 2015 redesign, the F-150 hasn’t managed to match the fuel economy of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (NYSE:FCAU) Ram 1500 equipped with a diesel engine.

It goes on sale this fall; prices have not been announced.