Ford Vehicle

The full-sized-pickup market has taken an unprecedented hit in sales due to high fuel prices this year, and several manufacturers are reacting quickly with redesigned products and fuel-saving technology. Though it won’t go on sale until later next month, Ford is already touting fuel-economy performance in the redesigned 2009 F-150 pickup, which drops the existing V-6 engine choice for an all V-8 lineup.

Even so, Ford claims an average of 8 percent improvement in fuel economy across the entire lineup as a result of engineering enhancements. The fuel-economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the 5.4 liter V-8 engine. In addition, Ford will offer a F-150 SFE, or “Superior Fuel Economy,” edition on some F-150s. The new SFE package will be available on F-150 SuperCrew XL and XLT trucks with the 4.6-liter V-8 engines.

The SFE pickup is EPA -rated at 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. “Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150,” said Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer.