Diesel Ford F-150 now seems extremely likely in light of new spy shots

Quimby Mug Bayou Florida Headshot
Updated Jul 6, 2016

2015 Ford F-150If it quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, then…

More evidence has emerged suggesting that a diesel Ford F-150 is on the way.

Autoblog recently published more photos of an F-150 test truck. These follow shots and a video of a prototype F-150 with a Venturi tip exhaust pipe sounding off in traffic with diesel-like gusto.

Now, Autoblog has published a photo of an emissions calibration sticker that it says may offer more proof that Ford is testing a diesel engine. The sticker, which is shown on the rear window of the truck, reads JFC1-3.0-966.

Autoblog reports that the middle digits—3.0—represents a 3.0-liter engine, which “is a common displacement for oil-burning engines.”

That engine could be a close relative of the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel that Ford developed with with PSA Peugeot-Citroen. The 254-horsepower engine, which generates a respectable 440 lb.-ft. of torque, can be found in some Range Rovers in the U.S.

By comparison, the Ram 1500 3.0-liter EcoDiesel is rated at 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

As Autoblog points out, the sticker doesn’t confirm with certainty what type of engine is clattering under the hood, but one thing’s for sure, it’s not the 3.2-liter diesel engine available in Ford Transit. And that’s a good thing, since that engine is rated at 185 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.

Besides reporting on the sticker, Autoblog also states that the truck sounded like it had a diesel engine under the hood.