Should the refreshed, 2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Mustang bow at next month’s Detroit North American International Auto Show as we’re expecting, both cars might have the same new, normally-aspirated 4.8-liter V8 wedged under their hoods.

The engine, which was alluded to during discussions of the new labor contract between Unifor and Ford Canada, will outright replace the 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 currently found in both the Ford F-150 and Mustang GT, according to an unnamed source. The same source tells us that this new engine will feature dual injection – that is, both direct and port fuel injection – to achieve greater efficiency than the outgoing 5.0L.

Direct-injected engines tend to have greater resistance to knock than those that are port-injected. The combination of both dual injection, and variable valve timing like that found on the Coyote, should permit a higher compression ratio than the Coyote’s respectable 11.0:1. With higher compression generally comes more power, meaning that the new 4.8L could well outperform the 5.0, despite its slightly smaller displacement.

The 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine is the first Ford V8 to feature Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT), which allows the intake and exhaust valves to advance or retard independently of each other for greater efficiency. It’s assembled at the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario, where the 4.8-liter is slated to enter production soon.

That the 4.8-liter will replace Ford’s Coyote in both the Ford F-150 and Mustang GT comes as no surprise, of course. That it will feature dual injection for greater efficiency is just good sense.