Ford's 2017 F-150 pickup picks up 1 mile a gallon

Corrections and Clarifications: Corrects combined city and highway gas mileage for the outgoing Ford F-150 

DETROIT -- Ford's top-selling pickup truck is getting  a bump in gas mileage.

Ford said Wednesday the fuel economy for its 2017 F-150 pickup will rise one mile per gallon compared to the outgoing 2016 model due to a revamped version of the automaker's 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine and the first application of its 10-speed automatic transmission.

The 2017 F-150 will be rated at 18 miles per gallon in the city, 25 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined, according to the U.S. EPA. That's one mile per gallon better in than the outgoing model, which got 17 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg combined.

But the question remains whether the gains will be enough to give Ford a marketing edge over its competitors. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram 1500, when equipped a 3-liter diesel engine, gets 20 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg combined.

The fuel economy of the F-150 is important because it is not only the nation's most popular car or truck, but also because Ford's F-Series pickups have been the top-selling car or truck in the U.S. for 39 years in a row. Any increase or improvement in fuel economy on the truck is likely to be viewed as a edge in the fiercely competitive pickup truck segment.

Ford gained ground on fuel economy when it introduced the 2015 F-150 pickup after redesigning it with an aluminum body that cut up to 700 pounds of weight compared to the version it replaced.

Ford's EcoBoost engine, first introduced on the F-150 in 2011, has become a popular engine option for Ford. EcoBoost engines account for 60% of Ford's overall F-150 sales while Ford's 5.0-liter V8 engine and a non-turbocharged V-6 engine account for the remainder of the sales.