Ford today announced that its 2012 model year F-Series medium-duty chassis cab, scheduled for a market launch in the fourth quarter of 2011, will be available with the firm's gasoline-sipping 6.8-liter V10 engine.The three-valve, single-overhead-camshaft V10 is rated at 362-horsepower at 4,750 rpm and 457 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,250 rpm. According to Ford, gross vehicle weight ratings for Class 6 and Class 7 medium-duty trucks equipped with the V10 gasoline unit will range from 20,500 to 30,000 pounds.
"No other manufacturer offers this wide of a range of options and solutions for truck customers," said Len Deluca, Ford director for Commercial Truck Sales and Marketing. "The availability of a gas engine in this medium-duty segment will be welcome news to many businesses and municipalities."
The V10 engine will be hooked up to the same heavy-duty six-speed TorqShift automatic transmission used on the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine that powers the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks.
As an option, the company will offer buyers the same alternative fuels engine package that will become available this fall on the F-450 and F-550 Super Duty chassis cab trucks that use the 6.8-liter V10. The factory-installed conversion option allows the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane (LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas).
