Yahoo Autos 2021 Ford F-150 First Drive Review | The PowerBoost hybrid is peak pickup
Few automotive happenings are more business-critical than the launch of a redesigned Ford F-150. The Mustang Mach-E and Bronco may draw the eyes of enthusiasts, and are key parts of Ford's future, but few vehicles have more significance to the U.S. auto industry than pickup trucks, and Ford’s F-Series is the reigning sales champion in this incredibly popular and profitable segment.
While this isn’t a full-blown, head-to-toe redesign, the 2021 F-150 received a comprehensive powertrain overhaul, a new interior and some new “hey, neat” type features that just might sway a buyer who otherwise believes just about any truck will do, so long as the price and capabilities check all the right boxes. You can get more in-depth details on the Ford F-150 in our launch day coverage, but we’ll hit the highlights here for your convenience.
While the 2021 F-150 was restyled, its looks aren’t a significant departure from the previous model’s. Changes are more noticeable inside, where a new steering wheel and a cleaner center stack highlight a host of other small tweaks. The obvious upgrade here is Ford’s fourth-generation Sync infotainment system, which received some serious hardware upgrades to improve its performance over Sync 3. Chief among these is a mammoth available 12-inch touchscreen, though our time with it prevented an in-depth review (well, apart from reporting that it's a long reach from the driver seat to the screen's right side)
Ford also threw in some cool new exterior treats, such as a redesigned tailgate that now boasts an available flat work surface with built-in clamp pockets and bottle openers. There’s also available outside zone lighting (allowing you to illuminate only the spaces in which you’re working – or playing) along with an in-bed power system that blows away anything else you’ve seen from a factory pickup.
The 2021 Ford F-150 is offered with six powertrains, but not the same six that were available on the 2020 model. Headlining these changes is the new F-150's party piece: the PowerBoost hybrid. Based on the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a new modular hybrid 10-speed automatic transmission, this is the range-topping powertrain for the 2021 model, producing 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque.
Stepping down from that, the 5.0L “Coyote” V8 and 3.5L EcoBoost return, each producing 400 hp. The V8 produces 410 lb-ft of torque, while the EcoBoost V6 makes 500 lb-ft. This turbocharged V6 previously came in 375- and 450-horsepower variants, with the latter reserved for the Raptor and high-end Limited models. The existence of a new Raptor has been confirmed, but given the imminent arrival of the Hellcat-powered Ram TRX, we suspect Ford will take a new approach to its range-topping performance truck.
Below this, the 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel returns, making 250 hp and 440 lb-ft. The 2.7-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 is the next step down, and it produces the same 325 hp and 400 lb-ft it did in the outgoing truck. The naturally aspirated 3.3-liter V6 also returns as the base engine with 290 hp and 265 lb-ft — yet another carry-over figure.
The new F-150 has a maximum towing capacity of 14,000 pounds, an increase of 800 over last year's truck, besting the Silverado 1500 at 13,300 pounds and the Ram 1500 at 12,750. As for payload, the most the new F-150 can carry is 3,325 pounds, 55 more than previously. The Ram 1500 has the next best rating at 2,300, and the Silverado 1500 is close behind with 2,280 pounds. As always, though, payload is incredibly dependent on engine, cab and bed length.
Specifically, we’ll note that the PowerBoost is rated to haul as much as 2,120 pounds in the bed and tow as much as 12,700 pounds. Both of those figures best the Power Stroke diesel’s in equivalent SuperCrew configurations. And if you're wondering about the hybrid's weight (a key factor in towing capacity and payload), it's only about 250 pounds more than the equivalent diesel and 350 more than a 3.5 EcoBoost. Not bad.
