The Ford F-150 is one of the best selling vehicles on the planet. Considering that, one can imagine that when it comes time for a redesign, there are hardly any half measures. For its lucky thirteenth generation, Ford has gone all-in on the single most important vehicle in its portfolio, redesigning it from the ground up.
The big news is the F-150's new, lightweight, Atlas-inspired body. Ninety-three percent of that new body is made from a sort of aluminum alloy not unlike what the US military uses in its M2 Bradley fighting vehicles and Humvees, and it accounts for up to 70 percent of the F-150's 700-pound weight reduction. As a side benefit, the aluminum body should prove more resistant to dents and dings. Built Ford tough, indeed.
If you're wondering where the other 30 percent of that 700-pound weight loss went, 8.5 percent (60 pounds) came from the increased use of high-strength steel (up from 23 percent to 77 percent) in its ladder-box frame. Ford claims this steel is comparable to some of the heavy duty pickups used by its competitors, with a PSI rating of 70,000.
"Our objective was to find materials that allowed us to design the truck to be as tough – or tougher – than the current model, yet could help it be hundreds of pounds lighter for better capability and fuel economy," said Pete Friedman, Ford's manager of manufacturing research. We shouldn't need to explain the benefits of a lighter truck (faster, stronger and more efficient).
The other big change is the addition of a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. The new engine features auto start-stop, a first in the F-150. The system will automatically disengage if the truck is towing or set to four-wheel drive, so that it doesn't leave a driver flat-footed when power is really needed. It can also be manually defeated.
"No one's ever built a six-cylinder engine like this," said Raj Nair, group vice president of global product development. "It combines a host of advanced technologies found throughout the industry to create one of the most technically advanced and efficient engines ever designed."
Buyers will have the choice of a new, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 as standard, while the 2.7 will slot in above it. The 5.0-liter V8 remains, while the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 has finally knocked off Ford's bad-boy 6.2-liter V8, which will no longer be offered on the F-150.
Ford hasn't published performance or fuel economy figures on any of it's new engines, but suffice it to say, the new 2.7-liter should be an adequate match for the mid-level V8s of Ram and General Motors while besting its eight-cylinder competitors on fuel economy. We'd expect a slight drop in power for the 3.5 and an uptick in fuel economy, while we wouldn't be surprised to see the 5.0 and 3.5 EcoBoost carry over their horsepower and torque metrics, while their fuel economy figures will benefit from the lighter body.
Ford pulled a fast one on spectators at this year's Baja 1000, running a truck in the grueling off-road race that featured the current F-150's body, but used the same aluminum-alloy construction and modified ladder-box frame. Underhood sat the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost. So yes, this truck does seem to have been tested rather thoroughly.
Ford hasn't limited its improvements to the greasy bits of the new F-150. All LED lighting is available as an optional goodie, including segment-exclusive LED headlights. The cargo box features LED lights, as well as a switch in the bed, which should save the driver from going all the way into the cab for a bit of extra light. There's also an LED on the handle of the tailgate, which should make finding it and hooking up a trailer a bit easier. Other handy features include a segment-exclusive tailgate release that can be operated via the key fob.
In the cabin, Ford has fitted a new, optional eight-inch display in the instrument cluster and added a number of new TruckApps. One of those new apps, Smart Trailer Control can inform the driver if the trailer being towed has a faulty or burnt-out light, or if the trailer's lights are even working in the first place. Ford will also offer a segment-first 360-degree camera, using four cameras mounted under the mirrors and in the front and back, lending owners piece of mind in tight quarters. Not all the upgrades are so functional, though. A panoramic sunroof is available to brighten up the cabin, and while we don't have an exact measurement, we can say that it is very big.
Finally, a new BoxLink system should add a high degree of versatility in the F-150's bed. The new system allows customers to reconfigure the bed as they see fit, and is similar to one of the features on the Atlas Concept from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. "We are leaving the bed open, and are letting the customer choose how they want to customize the bed," said Ford spokesman Mike Levine.
The new F-150 will be available in five trims when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2014 - base XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. We'll have much more information on the new F-150 when it becomes available, including live pictures from its debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show later today. Scroll down for the official press blast from Ford.
[BBvideo 640,385]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yruDxkhKNI[/BBvideo]
Fonte: AutoBlog
-- Adicionado em 13 Jan 2014 08:44 --
Só tenho uma coisa pra dizer...
traz a V8 para o Brasil? Isso é um puta carro de imagem. Ia vender até mais Ranger.
+ Tapatalk
