(October 15, 2010) Ford said Thursday that it has priced the 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 engine $1,750 above its entry-level engine for its 2011 F-150 pickups.

The V6 engine, which Ford brands as EcoBoost, is expected to get the best fuel economy of Ford’s four new engines for the truck and it has the highest towing capacity.

“Even though it was positioned as a premium engine, we wanted to make certain that the technology was affordable,” Marc Lapine, consumer marketing manager for Ford trucks, told the Detroit Free Press during a media event (Thursday) in Romeo.

Ford plans to heavily market its EcoBoost engine and will include it as an option on six of its 11 F-150 models even though most full-size truck buyers believe a larger V-8 engine is necessary to get the horsepower and torque they need for recreational or work-related tasks. In fact, Lapine said Ford anticipates that about 33 percent of Ford’s truck buyers will select the EcoBoost option, which will reach dealerships in February.

Ford is also introducing three other new engines for its 2011 F-150 pickups that will reach dealerships this year in what the automaker says is its most substantial engine change in the F-150’s 62-year history. “We are going to have the right engine for every customer," Lapine said.

(Source: Detroit Free Press)