According to Ford, it’s official. The redesigned 2021 Ford F-150 tows and hauls more weight than its primary competitors. Much more.
Equip the new F-150 with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a Max Towing Package, and several versions of both the SuperCab and SuperCrew can handle as much as 14,000 pounds of trailer. The Regular Cab tops out at 13,300 lbs.
For those keeping scores, the 2021 Ford F-150 tows 800 lbs. more than the previous-generation F-150. The most capable Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can handle up to 13,300 lbs., while the best Ram 1500 can muster 12,750 lbs.
When the F-150’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine is under the truck’s hood, the maximum payload rating is 3,325 lbs. That’s for the Regular Cab version of the F-150. SuperCabs max out at 3,010 lbs. while SuperCrews can handle up to 2,900 lbs. of weight.
Again, the new F-150’s maximum payload rating rises for 2021, by 55 pounds. Compared to the previous-generation truck, that’s not a significant improvement. But compared to the Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500, the Ford can haul more than 1,000 additional pounds of payload. That represents a serious advantage.
Ford isn’t screwing around when it comes to the all-new F-150 Hybrid. Based on the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine, this is a full hybrid drivetrain, not a mild-hybrid setup like Ram eTorque. Ford rates it to make 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque and says it can tow up to 12,700 lbs. and haul as much as 2,120 lbs. of payload.
Not only that but the Pro Power Onboard function exports 2.4 kilowatts of standard power and as much as 7.2 kW of maximum power, allowing the truck to serve as a mobile generator. To illustrate that capability, Ford says the top figure is enough to power 28 average refrigerators.
Ford carries over the new F-150’s 3.3-liter V-6, twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6, and 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6. Both the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 get power increases, and the Hybrid’s PowerBoost powertrain is new for 2021. Every 2021 F-150 employs a 10-speed automatic transmission.
You’ll find the horsepower, torque, towing, and payload ratings for each engine listed below. The engines appear in order ranked by size in liters:
2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6
325 horsepower at 5,000 rpm
400 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm
Tows up to 10,100 pounds
Hauls as much as 2,480 pounds
3.0-liter PowerStroke turbo-diesel V-6
250 horsepower at 3,250 rpm
440 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm
Tows up to 12,100 pounds
Hauls as much as 1,840 pounds
3.3-liter V-6
290 horsepower at 6,500 rpm
265 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm
Tows up to 8,200 pounds
Hauls as much as 1,985 pounds
3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6
400 horsepower at 6,000 rpm (+ 25 hp)
500 pound-feet of torque at 3,100 rpm (+30 lb.-ft.)
Tows up to 14,000 pounds
Hauls as much as 3,250 pounds
3.5-liter PowerBoost Hybrid
430 horsepower at 6,000 rpm
570 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm
Tows up to 12,700 pounds
Hauls as much as 2,120 pounds
5.0-liter V-8
400 horsepower at 6,000 rpm (+5 hp)
410 pound-feet at 4,250 rpm (+10 lb.-ft.)
Tows up to 13,000 pounds
Hauls as much as 3,325 pounds
The information in this article is from Ford. It was accurate on September 29, 2020, but may have changed since that date.
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