The all-new F-150 making its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week might initially look like little more than an evolutionary step forward for the best-selling pickup. But with its shift from steel to aluminum Ford hopes to rewrite the rules in the tough-truck segment. It’s a move that could send competitors scrambling – but also risks leaving skeptical buyers sitting on the sidelines.
Only a few years ago, skeptics began to wonder whether the once-massive full-size pickup market might be dwindling into insignificance. Indeed, during the depths of the recession, sales dipped to a mere 1.1 million, barely half the segment’s previous annual peak. But with the U.S. economy finally building momentum, the housing market, in particular, showing signs of life, pickup sales soared in 2013, to a solid 1.9 million.
Leading the charge was the Ford F-Series which accounted for sales of 763,402 trucks last year, about 283,000 ahead of its nearest competitor, the Chevrolet Silverado. That cemented the F-Series’ hold on the market as not only the best-selling truck in America for 37 consecutive years but as the best-selling vehicle overall for 32.
So, why is Ford about to take what could be one of the biggest risks it has made in decades with the heart-of-the-market version of its full-size truck, the F-150? Because, goes the old argument, no risk is the biggest risk of all. And with the F-Series facing an award-winning Ram 1500 from Chrysler and two new offerings from General Motors – and with both Toyota and Nissan promising to get even more competitive in the truck segment -- Ford wanted to set the new benchmark rather than worry about meeting targets other manufacturers might hope to set.
The new 2015 Ford F-150 weighs in at anywhere from 500 to more than 700 pounds lighter, depending on model, than the most recent version of the truck, said Pete Reyes, the program’s chief engineer. And while the maker isn’t ready to release fuel economy figures, the general industry rule of thumb is that each 100 pounds of mass a vehicle sheds translates into about one mile per gallon better fuel economy.
In today’s market, even with fuel prices down sharply from last year’s peaks, that alone could prove a game-changer. But Reyes and other Ford officials say new F-150’s aluminum-intensive design has other advantages. Forget the image of easily-crushed beer cans, the chief engineer emphasizes. The unique aluminum alloys used in the 2015 truck are actually more ding and dent-resistant than conventional steel.
By “lightweighting” the truck, Reyes says Ford can deliver other benefits. Make the vehicle itself lighter and you gain “the ability to invest that into pulling more load and hauling more load,” he explained.
“This is the ‘and’ solution,” suggested Ford truck group marketing manager Doug Scott, a reference to the automaker’s current ad campaign which argues that buyers want more, not more trade-offs, for their money.
The new pickup adds a number of other features. There’s a remote release available for the tailgate, for example, the tailgate also offering fold-out steps. The cargo bed has been completely redesigned and adds new storage and tie-down options. It will even be offered with stowaway ramps that can be used, for example, to roll a motorcycle into the bed.
The cabin features a number of high-tech touches, including the latest in Ford’s Sync-based infotainment technology, starting with a larger touchscreen, as well as a new 8-inch reconfigurable LCD screen for the gauge cluster. The new F-150 will offer a new 360-view monitor so a driver can see what’s around the big rig, as well. Among other options are spotlights built into the moveable side mirrors that can be used at a work or campsite.
As for powertrains, Ford will drop the F-Series’ big 6.2-liter V-8 but is adding a second turbocharged EcoBoost powertrain, this one displacing 2.7-liters and capable of handling up to an 8,000-pound tow load. A second EcoBoost engine, at 3.5-liters, will now be the most powerful powertrain package, with F-150 buyers also able to choose a 5.0-liter V-8 or a naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V-6.
More on the Detroit Auto Show from The Detroit Bureau:
Ford "Aluminum-Intensive" F-150 pickup a Likely Auto Show Star
2015 Honda Fit - Small is Big at the Detroit Auto Show
2015 Mercedes C-Class - The "Baby Benz" is all Grown Up