Ford drops 'SFE' label from fuel-efficient trucks

2009 Ford F-150 SFE - Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in the summer of 2008, fuel prices hit their highest peak in U.S. history and automakers responded with a raft of new cars and trucks designed to eke as many miles from a single gallon of fuel as possible. Not surprisingly, Ford followed this tack when it introduced its latest F-150 pickup truck for the '09 model year, which launched with an optional SFE (Superior Fuel Economy, if you must know) edition that featured a number of fuel-saving tweaks and the Blue Oval's long-running three-valve 4.6-liter V8 engine.

After just one year on the market, PickupTrucks.com reports that Ford will drop the SFE model for 2010. The good news for those interested in fuel efficient fullsize trucks is that Ford will continue to offer a two-wheel-drive, four-door version of its popular pickup with an SFE-matching 15/21 mpg rating, so it would seem the SFE is disappearing in name only. As far as we're aware, GM will continue to offer a competing model that matches the ex-SFE's 15/21 mileage rating and carries an XFE badge.