Seventy years ago, way back in 1947, Ford (F) released a revolutionary vehicle, the F-series pickup. Slowly but surely the popularity of pickups grew, as Americans went from using them on job sites to everyday vehicles, and by 1981 the F-150 light duty pickup became the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. It’s still the top selling vehicle in America, and there’s a reason for it.

It’s simply the best pickup built in America. From an all-aluminum body, multiple drivetrains featuring turbocharged and diesel engines, and yes, creature comforts, it’s no surprise loyal buyers and new ones keep snatching up F-150s.

But Ford can’t sit on its laurels. That’s because a new Dodge Ram (FCAU) is on the way (rumored to debut at the North American International Auto Show), and Chevrolet (GM) just teased the new 2019 Silverado in Texas last Saturday.

For 2018, Ford has refreshed and revitalized the top-selling F-150, and it appears customers should be better off for it. My colleague Rick Newman and I took a F-150 Platinum edition for a road test to see if Ford’s pickup is still king of the hill.

Upgrades under the hood

Aside from exterior tweaks like a new grill, bumpers and fascia, etc. the big differences you’ll see this year in the F-150 line are under the hood with engine improvements across the range of powerplants offered. There’s the base engine which is a 3.3-liter V-6, a revised 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, and a heavily tweaked 5.0-liter V-8 offering more power. A diesel engine will join the party in spring 2018. Except for the base engine, all other engines use Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.

The other big thing for these engines — all versions include auto-start-stop technology. And that’s one of the big pushes here with the F-150’s engine range — trying to achieve more fuel economy.

Our tester sported the twin-turbo Ecoboost 3.5-liter V-6, outputting a healthy 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. This engine also includes port fuel and direct injection that Ford says will improve power and efficiency.

On the road

Look, there’s no denying it, the F-150 is one big rig. Our truck in Mars Red and SuperCrew trim with a 6-1/2 foot bed was massively so. Maneuvering this beast in the suburbs of New York City, let alone Manhattan, was a somewhat stressful undertaking.

Luckily, eventually you get used to the dimensions. And when you do, it’s a surprisingly nice ride. You wouldn’t guess the F-150 was a body on frame truck, as its ride was plush, smooth and quiet. The 3.5L twin-turbo V6 provided more than adequate power for a truck that weighs nearly 5,000 pounds.