The 2011 Ford F150 with the EcoBoost V6 rated at 16/22mpg

When Ford announced the specifications of the new 3.5L EcoBoost V6 offered in the 2011 Ford F150, they stated that it would featured the most torque in the segment (420lb-ft) as well as class leading fuel economy and today, they made it official – the EcoBoost V6 gets 16mpg around town and 22 on the highway.

The official EPA rating of 16/22mpg for the 2011 EcoBoost-powered F150 put this engine above all others in the segment with the only competition being the Chevrolet Silverado XFE, which has a significantly lower towing and hauling capacity than the standard Silverado. The EcoBoost F150 also has vastly more horsepower and torque than the 5.3L engine offered in the Silverado XFE. The 420lb-ft of torque is the best in the segment and the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 is the closest with 407 lb-ft. The Hemi also makes more horsepower (390hp to the EcoBoost’s 365hp) but it achieves just 14mpg around town and 20 on the open road. On top of being the most fuel efficient and one of the most powerful trucks on the market, the EcoBoost V6 in the new F150 will tow up to 11,300lbs and haul 3,060lbs – both best in class.

Once the EcoBoost 2011 F150 begins reaching showrooms later this year, it should be a popular option provided that people can accept the twin turbocharging technology in pickup form. The EcoBoost V6 adds just $1,750 compared to the 3.7L TiVCT V6 and $750 over the new 5.0L V8. The next piece of the puzzle is to see how the Twin Turbo technology handles the aftermarket, as owners will surely be quick to see what added boost or other modifications will do to the powerful V6.

At the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Ford will publicly tear down the EcoBoost V6 that has been torture tested over the past year; having been run in a Baja endurance race after making laps around a racetrack towing an 11,000lb trailer and hauling logs in the Northwestern US. This is intended to show that a V6 engine with the advanced turbo technology is capable of taking every bit of abuse that truck owners can hand out as durability of such a powerful, small engine is one of the main concerns of the EcoBoost naysayers.

Stay tuned to TorqueNews.com for live comprehensive coverage of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show!

Other Ford News:
Ford unveils the 2011 Focus Electric at 2011 CES
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Ford to auction off Grabber Blue Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca
Ford brand leads the nation in December 2010 sales, Lincoln struggles

Click any picture below for a look at the Ford display from the 2010 LA Auto Show.