Ford Hikes F-150 V-6 EcoBoost Output To Keep Pace with Sales

Get ready for more turbocharged Ford F-150 pickups on dealership lots!! Find out why after the jump!!

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(AN)–Ford Motor Co. has raised the proportion of F-150 pickups outfitted with the automaker’s turbocharged direct-injection 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine. It also plans increased advertising for the pickup and upgrades to the engine, as part of its short-term plan to build on what has become a competitive advantage.

F-150s equipped with the EcoBoost engine have exceeded Ford’s sales expectations. The pickup now is the automaker’s most popular model equipped with a turbocharged engine.

Ford has sold about 75,000 F-150s equipped with the EcoBoost engine through Oct. 13, Doug Scott, Ford’s truck group marketing manager, told Automotive News today. The engine became available in late February and the automaker now expects to sell more than 100,000 F-150s equipped with EcoBoost by year end.

Build more, sell more

Since April, F-150s equipped with the EcoBoost option have consistently comprised around 41 percent of the truck’s sales each month. In September, F-150 EcoBoost sales made up 42 percent of all F-150 models sold.

Ford initially estimated the EcoBoost would comprise 40 percent of monthly sales.

Now Scott says even that target is too low, given demand.

“The mix is still growing because only 33 percent of our stock was EcoBoost” as of this week, Scott said. “We’re ramping it up and building more to get the stock to support more sales.”

Over the last 60 days, Ford has increased production of F-150s equipped with EcoBoost. Ford expects the EcoBoost engine to comprise at least 45 percent of F-150 monthly sales by the end of the fourth quarter or start of the first quarter, Scott said.

“That increased production is flowing in and will help close that gap between the stock mix and sales mix,” Scott said.

39-day supply

As of Oct. 1, Ford had a 50-day supply of all F-150s, but only a 39-day supply of F-150s with the EcoBoost engine, Scott said.

Through September, Ford has sold 416,388 F-series pickups, up 8 percent from a year earlier. The total tops the combined sales of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra by 12,610 units.

Besides the 3.5-liter EcoBoost, Ford offers three naturally aspirated engines in its popular-selling pickup: a 6.2-liter V-8, a 5.0-liter V-8 and a 3.7-liter V-6.

But Ford’s main advertising message around the F-150 will be the performance capabilities of the EcoBoost engine, Scott said.

“When we move into November, we’ll have a new television commercial for EcoBoost and F-150,” Scott said. The engine will “continue to be the central message because it’s resonating with the customer.”

‘Beat that drum’

The new 30-second spot will specifically highlight the EcoBoost’s 365 hp, ability to tow 11,300 pounds, 420 pounds-feet of torque and an EPA-rated 22 mpg highway fuel economy, Scott said. The spot will run mostly during football programming.

“The EcoBoost spot will get the majority of the mix,” Scott said. EcoBoost is “so important to the F-150 and the future of our F-series lineup. We’ll have to continue to work that message and beat that drum as other people come to market.”

Ford — aiming to offer V-8-like power without sacrificing fuel economy — is the only automaker offering a turbocharged V-6 on a full-sized pickup. As recently as two years ago, Ford didn’t offer a V-6 engine on the top-selling F Series.

Other automakers are likely looking to offer turbocharged pickup engine options down the road.

“We better have a plan and we do have a plan to continue to improve our performance with the EcoBoost,” Scott said. “Whether that’s with fuel economy or durability we’ll have to continuously up our game. The competitors are taking note of it. We’re anticipating that what we’re delivering today, we’ll have to improve upon.”

Profitable pickup

The engine is also a profit maker for Ford. More than half of the F-150s equipped with EcoBoost engines are sold with higher trim levels and therefore are more expensive models, Scott said.

The 2012 F-150 with the EcoBoost engine has gone up in price. It now costs $895 more than the smaller of the two V-8s offered on the F-150. That gap used to be $750. The EcoBoost costs $1,895 more than a model with the 3.7-liter V-6; the difference on last year’s model was $1,750.

Besides heavy marketing, Ford is working to improve the EcoBoost’s capabilities to maintain market dominance, Scott said.

He declined to offer specific ways Ford will boost the EcoBoost’s performance or when it would come to market. But Scott hinted that the next generation engine will top the present one in towing and fuel economy and reach the market soon.

“Let’s look at 2009. That’s when we came out with an all-new F-150. In 2010, we introduced the new Super Duty with new powertrains. That shows a very quick cadence of product improvement,” Scott said. “I don’t expect that to change going forward. We’ve got a lot of things planned.”