2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid: First Drive (Jalopnik)
The 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid takes the best-selling pickup to the next level.
The 2021 Ford F-150 may look a lot like the outgoing truck, but it has been given a hugely improved interior, lots of fun gadgetry and a hybrid powertrain called PowerBoost. Here’s a first look at what it was like to briefly drive the newest version of America’s best-selling pickup. It’s leveled up.
The new Ford F-150 comes with lots of engine choices. There’s a naturally aspirated 3.3-liter V6, a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6, a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel and a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8. These are all familiar engines, though — new for 2021 is a 3.5-liter hybrid V6.
That hybrid makes 430 horsepower and an absurd 570 lb-ft of torque, sending it all through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid system also lets the internal combustion engine act as a generator, feeding a battery connected to power outlets in the bed of the truck, should you want to use power tools. It’s one of many of the new truck’s gadgets, which include an electronically folding shifter that accommodates an interior work surface and a flat-folding “sleeper seat” option, among others.
That’s really the story of the 2021 Ford F-150: It’s got lots of gadgets and a new hybrid powertrain. It’s clever, really. And it’s also really nice, particularly on the inside.
(photo credit: Jalopnik)
