In announcing output and towing figures for its new twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, Ford published a video of a towing drag race in which a 2015 Ford F-150 stomped a Ram EcoDiesel and a Chevrolet Silverado with a 5.3-liter V-8. Although we’re not inclined to get excited over manufacturer test runs—we do that stuff ourselves—taken with the 2.7’s 325-hp and 375-lb-ft output ratings, the engine is shaping up to be an appealing option taken alone. (The EcoDiesel is rated at 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft, the 5.3-liter Chevy at 355 and 383.) But when you consider the mass reduction resulting from the new F-150’s aluminum construction, you can see why Ford’s truck-marketing people are starting to seriously use the phrase “power-to-weight ratio” for perhaps the first time ever.
Indeed, if the clip is to be taken at face value, it shows that the switch to aluminum has paid off. The test involved towing 7000-pound trailers for three miles to the top of Arizona’s Davis Dam Road—the same road used as a basis for the SAE J2807 towing test, which Ford will adopt with the 2015 truck—with 4×4 Crew Cab models equipped with either 3.73:1 or 3.92:1 axle ratios. The F-150 beat the Ram by more than 40 seconds during each of three runs and the Silverado by about six seconds twice (Ford admitted losing to Chevy by a similar amount in that pairing’s third run.) Speed aside, the 2.7-liter F-150 carries a maximum towing rating of 8500 pounds, which trails the 11,200 pounds of the 5.3-liter Crew Cab Silverado and the 9200 of the Ram EcoDiesel.
2015 Ford F-150 twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 engine cutaway
Ford also announced that its own scales place the 2.7-liter F-150 Crew Cab at 4942 pounds, which compares quite favorably to the 5674 pounds it reports for an identical 2014 F-150 with a 5.0-liter V-8. Ford has been touting a general 700-pound savings since the 2015 F-150’s debut in January, but the automaker put a finer point on things with The Detroit News, claiming the figures could range between 625 to more than 730 pounds. We’re looking forward to verifying—or debunking—the claims once we get the new trucks on our own scales.
The 2.7-liter engine, code-named “Nano,” uses a compacted graphite iron block for added durability. (Why use iron in an aluminum truck? Read our deep-dive on the block to find out.) An automatic engine stop-start system is standard, although it is automatically deactivated in four-wheel-drive mode or while towing. Ford hasn’t released fuel-economy figures yet. Read More..
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