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The Raptor Powertrain isn’t Just for the Raptor

10.15.16 - 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

For 2017 we will see the resurgence of the Raptor on the market and it will be a powerful truck for off-roading for you. While the Raptor for 2017 features a powertrain that’s much lighter and smaller than the one on the previous Raptor this powertrain won’t be limited to this massive off road beast. Ford felt it wasn’t right to keep the awesomeness of this truck away from the rest of the Ford lovers and has taken the 3.5-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine and ten-speed automatic transmission and put them in the option sheet for the regular F-150 for 2017.

This engine may feel like its not new for 2017, but only a few things are the same as before. The engine bore, center dimensions, piston displacement and cylinder liners are all carried over from the previous model of this engine. New on the 3.5 engine is the turbos, the block, the cooling system and the fuel delivery system. This new fuel delivery system offers both direct and port injectors to give improved emissions and more power to the truck. Overall, the engine will be more powerful and is expected to reach up over 400 horsepower to be an engine and powertrain that will give you what you want; more from the same size.

If this is the engine you choose, you can only have the ten-speed automatic transmission that was developed in a partnership with GM. This gives you smoother shifting, better gear ratios to give you better off the line acceleration and more low end revolutions at highway speeds. Amazingly this engine will be the power monster of the lineup and with the transmission this will be a truck that you can love to drive. While you still have the larger V8 engines that you can choose, this is the one that will give you the power you want to enjoy.

This new transmission proves to you that you can’t have too many gears on this truck. It won’t run through the gears sequentially expect in two instances. Most of the time the computer will allow for skipping of gears which means the truck will jump from third to fifth and then maybe sixth and on up. If you accelerate quickly off the line the gears will be hit sequentially and of you drive in a way that you barely push the accelerator and force the truck to hit every gear it will do so.

This new powertrain on our favorite truck makes for a great pairing for us to decide this is the truck for us to drive. When you see the 2017 F-150 you know you have a lot of choices that you can make on the lineup to decide which truck build is right for you, and this may be the powertrain you want to enjoy. Does the inclusion of this new setup mean we might see the end of the V8 engines on the F-150? It’s entirely possible, but right now the 2017 lineup includes this new powertrain and still has the V8 engines as part of the offerings as well.

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