Ford increases V-8 engines, lowers performance prices

DETROIT — Ford Motor is expanding the availability of V-8 engines and lowering the starting prices of some performance models for its 2027 lineup of F-150 pickup trucks.

The Detroit automaker said the changes are meant to give customers more choice and help expand sales of key models, a strategy Ford has been leaning into under CEO Jim Farley.

The changes come as automakers attempt to address industrywide affordability concerns. The moves also come as some automakers — particularly the Detroit Three — have been adding more V-8 engines amid weakened emissions regulations and penalties under the Trump administration.

The new pricing doesn’t mean the trucks are cheap. The 2027 Ford F-150 Raptor will start at $77,800, which is $4,000 less than the current truck. The 2027 Tremor will start about $5,300 lower at $62,400, Ford said Tuesday.

Ford officials said the automaker lowered prices by eliminating some standard equipment, such as heated second-row seats, as well as using manual instead of power controls for some parts, like the steering column.

“For us, it made sense because it just broadens the offer and certainly doesn’t take away from either the capability of that new entry or of the model that it came down from,” Todd Eckert, Ford Blue senior director of truck consumer marketing, told CNBC.

Regarding the V-8 availability, Ford will offer its 5.0-liter engine across every model of the F-150 lineup, Eckert said. That includes having the option for a V-8 engine in the high-end King Ranch and Platinum models for the first time since the 2023 model year.

“We heard pretty loudly from both customers and dealers that even on those premium series, that they wanted the option to have a V-8 engine,” Eckert said.

The changes are part of several updates the company is making to the F-150 lineup for the 2027 model year. It’s also rolling out style updates to many models and adding a Carhartt model in collaboration with the Detroit-based clothing company.

All the updates for the 2027 F-150 lineup come as Ford continues to increase availability of the crucial pickups after fires at an aluminum supplier severely impacted their output over the past year.

Ford’s F-Series trucks — which include the F-150 and larger “Super Duty” models such as F-250, F-350 and F-450 — were severely impacted by the supplier issues due to their large aluminum bodies and other components.