Photo: Ford
If you’re looking to the 2021 Ford F-150 for an entrant on the annual Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems list, you ain’t gonna be short of options. Of those choices, Wards has tapped the all-new 3.5-liter PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6 as its choice for the top powertrain in the F-150 lineup.
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PowerBoost shatters hybrid steretypes with power, capability
Wards’ Drew Winter says that the mighty PowerBoost “totally blows up” the old stereotype of underpowered hybrids. But what it doesn’t destroy: the concept of efficiency, offering 25 mpg combined fuel economy and up to 750 miles of range.
“In a nutshell, this powertrain redefines brute force,” Winter writes. “Compared with numerous super-powerful V8s and many highly capable V6s, this propulsion system stands out as a workhorse and luxury vehicle on weekends.”
The 3.5-liter PowerBoost delivers 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque. With this output, the F-150 hybrid is just a touch below the horsepower of the F-150 Raptor’s high-output V6 and well above it in terms of torque.
With all that power, the F-150 PowerBoost is one of the best bets for towing and hauling. The F-150 hybrid can pull up to 12,700 pounds — not far off from the 14,000-pound max with the 3.5-liter V6 — and carry up to 2,120 pounds of payload.
Pro Power Onboard, fuel savings make F-150 PowerBoost ‘a no-brainer’
Photo: Ford
Another major advantage Wards hits on with the PowerBoost powertrain is the standard Pro Power Onboard. With the PowerBoost, the 2021 Ford F-150 gets a standard 2.4-kilowatt generator and an optional upgrade to 7.2 kW of power.
Wards’ Christie Schweinsberg calls the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost “a no-brainer” for the added cost because it will return that in fuel savings over time. Factoring in its versatility and functionality, no-brainer definitely seems like the correct choice of words.
The F-150 PowerBoost is the second Ford powertrain repped on the Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems list for 2021. It’s joined by its frequent partner in crime (or partner in awards, more aptly), the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. With the crazy-powerful 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning due to hit mid-2022, putting down money that the F-150 will feature on Wards’ list again next year is as safe a bet as you can make.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.