Ford says power-to-weight ratio for a 2015 2.7-liter EcoBoost F-150 is improved by 15 percent compared to a 2014 model with the 5.0-liter V-8 thanks to the lighter aluminum construction. The new boosted V-6 uses compacted graphite iron (CGI) for its engine block, the same material Ford's 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V-8 is made out of. Ford notes that this is the first application of a CGI block in a gas engine.

Thebase 3.5-liter V-6, which replaces the previous 3.7-liter, makes283 hp and 255 lb-ft. That's down 19 hp and 23 lb-ft from its predecessor, but Ford says the new engine's independent variable camshaft timing delivers torque across a wide rpm range along with improved fuel economy. The naturally aspirated 3.5-liter also gets a die-cast aluminum engine block, six-bolt main bearing caps, a fully counterweighted forged crankshaft, and cast exhaust manifolds for heavy-duty use. The engine is rated totow a maximum of 7600 pounds, whilepayload is capped at 1910 pounds.

To show how the new twin-turbo engine stacks up against the competition, Ford shot a video of a towing test conducted on Arizona's punishing Davis Dam road. In the video, a 2015 F-150 Lariat equipped with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 challenges a 2014 Ram 1500 V-6 EcoDiesel and 2014 Chevrolet Silverado with the 5.3-liter V-8 to an uphill towing battle. All trucks are four-wheel-drive models, and hitched to identical 7000-pound trailers.

Ford F-150 marketing manager Eric Peterson gave us a little background on the test:

"The reason we did the video is because all of this may look good on paper but we wanted to see how it looked in the real world. We easily beat the Ram and won two out of three times against the 5.3L Silverado. These two new powertrains, the 2.7-liter EcoBoost and 3.5-liter V-6, are proving to be great engines and allowing us to save weight without sacrificing anything."

For an example of those weight savings, Peterson points to the 2015 Ford F-150 Lariat 2.7-liter EcoBoost, which weighs 732 pounds less than a 2014 model equipped with the 5.0-liter V-8. We're told the 2015 F-150 Lariat will weigh just under 5000 pounds.

Check out the video below to watch the new engine in action.

Source: Ford