2015 F-150: Roomier, quieter, quicker
SAN ANTONIO -- Ford Motor is taking a step some businesses would consider crazy: Overhauling at great cost the F-150 full-size pickup — the company's high-volume, high-profit, crown jewel — from chassis to roof, even though the current model has no trouble attracting buyers.
The marquee feature is an aluminum body, which, combined with increased use of light but expensive high-strength steel, cuts the truck's weight 770 pounds. It's Ford's radical answer to the tightening government fuel economy standards, since fewer pounds to move saves fuel and allows smaller engines to get the same performance.
Rivals took simpler paths.
General Motors' new-design Chevrolet Silverado and nearly identical GMC Sierra pickups use the latest fuel-saving technology applied to conventional engines in traditional steel-bodied pickups.
Chrysler Group fits fuel-saving eight-speed transmissions to its full-size Ram and offers an optional diesel that's less thirsty than a similar-size gasoline engine.
Ford closed its Dearborn, Mich., truck plant to make the complex switch to build the 2015 F-150's aluminum body, and will have to do likewise at its Claycomo (Kansas City) plant early next year. Some investment advisers think the automaker will lose too much production, and thus, too many profitable sales, because of that factory down time.
Ford has bumped up prices on the new truck, due in showrooms next month, increasing base prices by $395 on low-level models, and by more than $3,000 on luxury versions.
And it is cycling dealers and salespeople through intense briefings and drives here, in what amounts to a cram course on the new trucks, their attributes and how to sell them.
At the same time, Ford's rotating auto writers through abbreviated versions of the dealer school, hoping the fast-paced, detail-packed presentations — Ford likens them to drinking from a fire hose — and a day of driving, towing and off-roading generate published applause.
That can help boost initial sales momentum, which is tied to long-term sales success in the peculiar calculus of auto retailing.
The buzz about aluminum overshadows a bucketful of other beneficial changes Ford made to the new truck.
Buyers can get massaging seats for aching backs and tired bones; 360-degree cameras for parking, maneuvering and off-roading; higher payload and towing ratings courtesy of the lighter weight and the industry's smallest V-6 in a big pickup.
The smaller V-6 is turbocharged and tweaked to deliver V-8-like power levels that Ford hopes will overcome buyer resistance to its small-sounding 2.7-liter displacement.
The truck's already expansive passenger cab has been widened 2 inches for appealing sprawl space and the likewise roomy back seat in crew-cab models gets more legroom.
Noise levels are down, fuel economy will be at least 5% and as much as 20% higher when government ratings are published next month, Ford says.
Our impressions after a day of the fast-paced, content-rich briefings and a day of driving that included flat-out acceleration, freeway and rural two-lane motoring, off-roading and trailer-towing:
Aluminum's almost a non-issue. Nothing about the new construction seems inferior. Ford promises that its many advantages even include resisting parking lot dings better than steel. And there's no difference in how the new trucks' panels fit or how the paint shines.
The lighter weight is a big plus on curving roads. The 2015 F-150 invites somewhat vigorous cornering and brisk maneuvering. That's fun, and it'll tire the driver less in a long drive.
The new 2.7-liter V-6, the tiniest V-6 in any big truck, is likewise a non-issue. The amount of power it delivers smoothly should make believers of many skeptics. And much as did the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, introduced in the 2011 F-150, it should pull away a big number of V-8 buyers. The 2.7 is a $495 option at launch, rising to $795 at an unstated later date.
The off-road suspension remains our favorite, even for trucks unlikely to leave the pavement. Without the off-road suspension, the truck's steering and handling can feel a bit sloppy.
Can it be that Ford has its Sync voice command system perfected? The test trucks paired iPhone and Windows devices rapidly and reliably.
Interior's additional space is a big plus. Especially on long drives toting four or five people, the space will seem a luxury.
Massaging seats are a ho-hum item. Didn't do much, we found.
Our guess on the truck's launch prospects: Ford will swallow the hit from the factory shutdowns and market the truck compellingly. Buyers, we'll bet, will have to work hard to find reasons to reject the 2015 aluminum machine with sometimes-odd drivetrains and higher prices.
INNOVATIONS
Ford's 2015 F-150 will disrupt the pickup market via innovations that Ford hopes will outweigh higher prices, keep sales humming.
Aluminum body. Cuts 500 pounds of weight, which lets Ford boost payload and towing ratings, but complicated switch to aluminum manufacturing worries Wall Street.
Tiny V-6. New 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 will be the smallest engine in a big pickup. Ford, promising high mileage ratings and 325 hp, will make the engine a modest $495 option at launch to lure more buyers.
High-strength steel. Complementing the aluminum, F-150's frame and other steel components use more lightweight, high-strength steel to trim another 270 lbs.
Massaging seats. A first in a pickup. Ford figures such pampering in the top models will help justify their $3,000-plus price hikes.
Surround-view camera. A key new feature among a suite of driver aids now common in cars, but new to pickups. Helps park, maneuver. Off-road, gives a peek ahead over crest of hills.
ABOUT 2015 FORD F-150
What? Radical remake of the best-selling, most-profitable vehicle in the U.S. auto market. Full-size pickup truck available in regular, extended and crew-cab configurations, with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4x4), powered by choice of three V-6s and one V-8.
When? On sale in November.
Where? First ones built at Dearborn, Mich.; next year some also made at Claycomo (Kansas City), Mo.
How much? Figure $50,000 for the one you probably want. Price increases vs. 2014 range from $395 on low-level models to as much as $3,515 on top versions.
Base prices (including $,1,195 shipping) for the lowest-price RWD versions of:
XL work truck, $26,615, up $395; regular cab, 6.5-foot-long cargo bed.
XLT, best-selling trim level, $31,890, up $395; regular cab, 6.5-foot bed.
Lariat, $39,880, up $895; extended cab, 6.5-foot bed.
King Ranch, $49,460, up $3,515; crew cab, 5.5-ft. bed.
Platinum, $52,155, up $3,055; crew cab, 5.5-ft. bed.
Heavily optioned test trucks: XLT 4x4 crew cab, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6: $49,770; Lariat 4x4 crew cab, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, $57,580.
What makes it go? Choice of four engines:
3.5-liter V-6 rated 283 horsepower, 255 pounds-feet of torque
2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 rated 325 hp, 375 lbs.-ft.
3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 rated 365 hp, 420 lbs.-ft.
5-liter V-8 rated 385 hp, 387 lbs.-ft.
How thirsty? Government ratings not yet out. Ford promises improvements of 5% to 20% vs. similar previous models.
Test trucks with 2.7-liter EcoBoost, 4x4, crew cab registered 19.8 mpg (5.05 gallons per 100 miles) with two people aboard, in mainly rural two-lane driving with occasional wide-open throttle bursts.
Test truck with 3.5-liter EcoBoost, 4x4, crew cab: 17 mpg (5.88 gal./100 mi.) in similar driving.
All engines use regular; tanks hold 23 or 36 gallons (depends on model).
Overall: Innovative, refined, pricey.