Delayed due to Ford's financial constraints, the heavy-duty workhorse truck range is ultimately destined to receive major changes for 2007. This Crew Cab longbed 1-ton version sports a single rear wheel, and looks to offer a slightly larger cab area. Word around the office says this vehicle is being tested with a new, smaller V-6 4.5-liter turbodiesel sourced from International, promising improved fuel economy.


Great news, too bad it is not an I6 though....

 

I don't think they would do that.

 

There's an article in the latest Truck Trend which suggests that a version of that motor might make it into the F150 or next generation Expedition, but it's all speculation at this point. No surprise that it's a V6 given that it's basically a 6.0 with 2 cylinders lopped off. I suppose it's possible they could offer it in the bigger pickups, too, given that it's already being used in medium-duty trucks, but it would be another engine option, not a replacement for the bigger motor.

 

you are really taking motor trend serious??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? i would not

 

Well, i hope it is true. This big diesel engine game is a joke. Give me a 6 that is reliable over these marketing bogus v8's that are continually be sold as if all the buyers are teens.

 

A diesel burns fuel differently.
The bigger engine's are more capable of moving heavier loads with more ease, and less boost, reducing fuel consumption. Look at the 7.3L...

I know, I know, I shouldn't explain it as simply as that...but you get the idea.

 

the 6 would work if you had a 10 speed transmission

 

Boy, how spoiled are we?!?! It wasn't that many years ago that 200 hp and 440 ft-lbs would've been class-leading numbers in a diesel pickup! Not everyone's bread-and-butter is heavy towing, I'm sure a lot fleet owners and plenty of others could do just fine with the 6 as an alternative to a bigger diesel. Options! Since when were more choices a bad thing?

 

A diesel v6 would be much better base engine than the gutless 5.4 for the superduty.

 

yes but the 5.4 is the most common fleet setup. being that ford sells so many 5.4's i don't think you will see it being replaced any time soon .

 

I am not sure what the prices are like in tulsa but out here ford is not a very good option for fleet vehicles. My company runs a very large fleet and have a mandated 70% alternative fuel requirement, so we are replacing all of our CNG/Gas F-150's for diesels (to run on biodiesel) and ford does not have a base model even close to the prices of gm and dodge. The majority of the large fleet companies seem to be replacing their fleet with the dodge cummins quad cabs. Your guess is as good as mine as to why the shift from ford but I know that the duramax trucks that chevy sold us where stripped compared to the dodges they where bidding against and ford wasn't even close. The Dodges we are running are also getting 15.6mpg city average and the best my 06' ford would do was about 13.4

 

Back to the Motor Trend article...their authority is "word around the office".

Guess they haven't heard the word around the International office...

 

Or the Ford office for that matter...

 

Its all hear say.Try not to listen.

 

I hope that a 6 cylinder will not be the biggest offered in the heavy duty trucks. If Ford does that I think they have pretty slit there throat. What they need to do is improve on the 7.3. I did however like Jerme's idea. Replacing the 5.4 with a small diesel would be great step forward, not that the 5.4 is a terrible engine, but it sucks because has minimal pulling power and maximum fuel consumption and it really is not worth it. I have 4x4 supercab witha 5.4; I can only imagine what a slug 4x4 crew cab would be with the 5.4.