If you like your bombshells small and gentle, then boy are you in luck, because to the 2018 F-150 that are so understated and mild, they’ll blow your goddamn mind, in a subtle way. These improvements come to fuel economy across most of the available engine lineup, and a decent increase in towing capacity for the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6.

Let’s start with the fuel economy gains first. Most of the possible engines/drivetrain combos get a 1 or two MPG bump from last year:

So, yeah, a little better. Power is also up a bit, with the 5-liter V8 getting extra horsies to hit horsepower, and extra twist-demons to take torque up to lb-ft . The 3.3-liter V6 goes up by hp and lb-ft (for hp/ lb-ft) and the 2.7 EcoBoost V6 gets no more horsepower, but torque increases by a significant lb-ft (for a total of hp/ lb-ft (285 Nrp)).

Whew. Okay. Now, the last big numbers-gain is in towing. Here’s what Ford’s PR says (emphasis mine):

For best-in-class towing, the second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 delivers , thanks to its 470 lb.-ft. of torque that beats all diesel- and gasoline-powered competitors, including V8 engines with nearly twice its displacement. With dual port and direct-injection technology, the 375-horsepower twin-turbo engine provides ideal low-end and peak engine performance for hauling heavy payloads and towing heavy trailers.

That’s a pretty significant jump of about 1,000 lbs more since the 2017 model. That’s non-trivial. Just for reference 13,200 lbs of towing is just enough to be able to tow a fully-grown African Bush Elephant.

Ford’s now offering some new driver’s aids for the F-150 as well:

New segment-first enhanced adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality is available to allow drivers to set a cruising speed. The system then uses radar and camera technology to monitor traffic ahead to maintain a set distance between vehicles – even following a vehicle down to a complete stopNew segment-first Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection is available to help drivers avoid or mitigate collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians

Styling-wise, it looks like the F-150 has gotten a minor facelift in the grille-area, with a new grille design that sort of resembles a giant CD or perhaps LaserDisc slot. I’m guessing there will be some announcement soon of new 3-foot-diameter discs available to upgrade the infotainment system options. Maybe it’ll be an encyclopedia.