Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel now available on volume XLT trim

We drove the diesel-powered Ford F-150 Power Stroke for the first time just over a year ago and liked just about everything about it. The engine, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 based on a unit built by Jaguar Land Rover, makes 250 horsepower and a healthy 440 pound-feet of torque. It's refined for a diesel, offering smooth power delivery, a quiet idle and class-leading fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, the engine's been limited to upper-level Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum models, putting it out of reach for the majority of F-150 shoppers. Thanks to customer and dealer demand, Ford's changing that for 2019, offering the engine in the mid-grade F-150 XLT.

The XLT trim makes up the largest percentage of F-150 sales by a sizable margin, meaning the Power Stroke will be available on 75 percent of the F-150 mix. Part of that is the XLT's relatively reasonable (at least in the context of full-size trucks) base price of $35,775. That said, there are some stipulations. To get the Power Stroke on an F-150 XLT, you must choose equipment group 302A. The $4,345 302A package adds features such as heated and power-operated front seats, remote start, 18-inch wheels and chrome trim. It's also only available on SuperCab (extended) or SuperCrew (four-door) models. All diesels are paired with Ford's 10-speed automatic.

The Power Stroke is $4,995 in place of the 3.3-liter V6, $4,000 in place of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 and $3,000 in place of the 5.0-liter V8. That means the cheapest diesel-powered model, a F-150 SuperCab 4x2 302A, starts at $46,255. Not cheap, but, until the new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel or Silverado diesel hit the streets, it's the only oil-burning full-size pickup in town.