Look up “truck” in the dictionary.
Why It Matters
There’s not much at stake with the launch of the new Ford F-series,
except one-third of Ford’s annual profit, tens of thousands of jobs,
tens of millions in executive bonuses, and possibly the fate of western
civilization. Consider: Ford sold more F-series trucks in 2013 than the
number of minutes in 2013, plus the number of minutes in the first five
months of 2012. All by itself, the F-series business would be a Fortune
500 company.
Platform
The Ford is all-new and rides on a high-strength steel frame with an
aluminum cab and bed. Ford says it shaves up to 700 pounds by going
nonferrous in the body, which should significantly boost performance and
fuel economy. And the F-series had some tonnage to lose: At 5800
pounds, the last EcoBoost V-6 F-150 we tested was 200 pounds heavier than a V-8–powered Chevy Silverado.
Powertrain
A 3.5-liter V-6 replaces last year’s 3.7-liter base engine. The optional
5.0-liter V-8 is improved in as-yet-unspecified ways. But the big
engine news is a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 that joins the stout but
thirsty 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6. All engines will bolt to a
six-speed automatic.
Competition
What Might Go Wrong
Judging by the number of times Ford describes the truck’s aluminum body
as “military grade” and “rugged,” we’re guessing the company fears some
buyers might be scared off by a truck not made entirely of recycled
anvils.
Estimated Arrival and Price
With five trim levels and various bed and cab configurations, as well as
four engine choices and the option of rear- or four-wheel drive, the
price range will be wide, as usual. Expect it to mirror the entries from
Chevy and Ram when it goes on sale late this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment