Ford SUVs get slimmer engines for improved power, MPG

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Gas prices may be on the decline these days, but the government and car companies are seeking better fuel-efficiency for future vehicles. Ford just put its biggest SUVs on a fuel diet, equipping them with smaller engines with better efficiency and increased power.

The 2015 Ford Expedition ($43,390 base price) is a big SUV. It has a big body that sits on a big frame. And of course it's got a big interior.

Under the Expedition's big hood you might expect to find a big engine. Nope. That's where the Expedition has gone small -- or at least not as big. Part of the vehicle's re-do for the new model year is Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6.

Compared to the V-8 in last year's Expedition, the turbo-charged V-6 makes more power and more torque. This helps keep the maximum tow rating an impressive 9,200 pounds.

Fuel economy is up, but not by leaps and bounds. Still, considering the engine's extra power, the 10- to 15-percent improvement is significant.

Some may doubt that a V-6 can replace a V-8 in such a big vehicle. Ford says that not only has this same engine been in use in the F-150 for the past few years, but prior to that they did extensive durability testing. That's probably a good thing, because the EcoBoost V-6 is now the only engine available in the Expedition. You can't get a V-8, even as an option.

General Motors, on the other hand, is sticking with V-8s for its large SUVs.

That could be an issue for the Expedition's sibling, the Lincoln Navigator. Like the Expedition, the 2015 Navigator ($61,480 base price) is now only available with the smaller engine.

But the Navigator plays in a different world: the luxury SUV world, where buyers might not care as much about fuel efficiency.

And the Navigator's longtime rival, the Cadillac Escalade, still has a V-8, like the other large GM models. The Navigator's smaller engine does compare well in power and towing capacity.

But there's one place it can't compete that could be important: sound. The V-8 "rumble" could still be a selling point for upscale buyers.

The Lincoln and Ford SUVs are older designs, sticking around for a few more years until more modern versions get to market.

But they've already gotten much more modern under the hood with an engine that offers power and efficiency in one tidy package.