Ford rolls out 10-speed F-150

BEGINNING next month, buyers will be able to order the 2017 Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. The transmission—co-developed with General Motors—is the first of its kind in a production vehicle. In the F-150, it will be paired with an upgraded 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine. Facing rapidly tightening fuel economy and emissions standards, the two decided to cooperate on the development of both a nine-speed automatic for use on front-drive vehicles, and the 10-speed going into rear- and all-wheel-drive models such as the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Adding more gears to a transmission can increase fuel efficiency, but as other automakers have found out, the technology doesn’t always work as planned and sometimes hurts how their vehicles drive. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, for example, has been hammered in quality and customer satisfaction surveys because its nine-speed automatic sometimes has trouble finding the right gear. The cost, however, isn’t cheap. GM and Ford decided to team up to share the expense. They used a similar strategy for the development of an earlier six-speed automatic. The fruits of the collaboration will eventually show up on a number of vehicles. While the two makers haven’t revealed all of their plans, the nine-speed will likely appear on future front-wheel-drive models such as the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu. They haven’t said what they have spent on the project. GM has confirmed that its version of the 10-speed will debut on the limited-edition Chevy Camaro ZL1, while Ford is using it in several truck applications, starting with the F-150. It will be a standard feature on the 2017 Raptor and Limited models, paired with the second-generation version of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. It will also be offered as an option on other 2017 F-150s, with a price of $2,595 or less, depending upon the model. The new engine and transmission combination will become available in “mid- to late-October,” according to The Detroit News. It will be standard on the high-end Limited and performance-oriented Raptor models, and optional on other trim levels, said Doug Scott, Ford’s truck group marketing manager. Pricing will reportedly increase by a few hundred dollars compared to the previous 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and six-speed automatic, but the cost to upgrade from other F-150 powertrains will remain similar. In addition to the upgraded 3.5-liter EcoBoost, Ford will continue to offer the F-150 with a 2.7-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V-6, a naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V-6, and a 5.0-liter V-8. A six-speed automatic remains the only transmission option for those engines. The new 10-speed automatic was announced by Ford and GM back in 2013, and was first shown on the 2017 Raptor when that model debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. It features a wider gear-ratio spread than the six-speed automatic it replaces. Ford says that allows the F-150 to use lower-numerical rear-axle ratios, which in turn improves highway fuel economy. Final EPA ratings for the new powertrain haven’t been released. The 10-speed is made from a combination of steel, aluminum, and composite alloys, to save weight. Beyond F-150 variants, it’s been suggested that Ford will also deploy the 10-speed in redesigned versions of the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Meanwhile, the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine is expected to produce the same 365 horsepower as the outgoing version, but with 450 pound-feet of torque—an increase of 30 lb-ft. It features both direct and port fuel injection, along with numerous other upgrades like new turbochargers and an electronic wastegate. Like its predecessor, this engine will probably find its way into a large portion of F-150 trucks. The outgoing 3.5-liter and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engines currently account for about 60 percent of F-150 sales. They are part of Ford’s aggressive plan to improve the efficiency of its best-selling truck. In addition to downsized engines, Ford employs an aluminum cab and pickup bed on the current-generation F-150 to reduce weight. Reports have also indicated that it will add diesel and hybrid powertrain options by the end of the decade. — SG