The Coyote V8 is nearing its 10th-year anniversary. Introduced for the 2011 model year, Ford’s Modular engine is considered a veteran, serving both the Ford Mustang GT and F-150 in their most-current iterations. And yes, that includes the 14th-generation of America’s best-selling pickup truck, which, despite having the powerful yet fuel-efficient turbocharged EcoBoost engines in the lineup and a hybrid option too, has kept the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8.
Why? Because customers still buy them – that’s according to F-150 Chief Engineer Craig Schmatz in his interview with Muscle Cars & Trucks.
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Schmatz added that the EcoBoost engines have done so well for Ford in terms of sales, representing 60 percent of the F-150 lineup. The EcoBoost engine is considered the top-spec option for the F-150, promising better fuel economy and higher power output than the naturally-aspirated counterpart.
“But there’s still a customer that wants the V8. So for those customers we added cylinder deactivation and variable displacement this year, so they can get better fuel economy. It’s still a very capable powertrain,” said Schmatz in the MC&T interview.
The popularity of the V8 may come from convention, with people opting for the less complex, non-turbocharged example because it’s easier to maintain and repair in the long run. Or it might also be because of the better aural pleasure that you could get with the V8’s rumble, as opposed to the subdued note from the V6.
Whatever the case may be, Ford is dead set on keeping the V8 alive for the 2021 F-150, despite the imminent arrival of the hybrid PowerBoost V6 and F-150 electric. The question now is: for how long?
