Ford Sport-Utility Trucks

Family Haulin' Ford Trucks

DETROIT - Think of a sport-utility truck (SUT) as a hybrid between an extended-cab pickup and a sport-utility vehicle and you've hit the nail on the head. The latest trend in trucking, SUT concepts have graced exhibits at auto shows, occupied booths at automotive aftermarket conventions and appeared in spy photos for nearly two years. Automakers from Ford to Suzuki have toyed with the idea, illustrating how lucrative the niche could be for the manufacturer able to exploit its potential first.

With introduction in Detroit of two new family-toting trucks from Ford, it appears the boys at the blue oval are on the cutting edge of this emerging fad. Both are due in showrooms early in 2000 and both are based on existing Ford trucks. They employ four standard-sized doors into the cabin just like a sport-utility vehicle, and open cargo beds just like a pickup truck. Aimed at consumers who need one vehicle that can do it all, the 2000 F-150 Crew Cab and 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac should find instant acceptance in our truck-obsessed society.

The F-150 Crew Cab is essentially a Ford Expedition without a covered cargo area. Built on the same wheelbase as the F-150 SuperCab, the Crew Cab sacrifices one foot of bed length for one foot of cabin length, allowing the truck to seat six without severely cutting cargo capacity. This means the F-150 Crew Cab should fit in most standard garages, unlike the Ford F-Super Duty Crew Cab trucks. The 5.5-foot-long bed will hold 44.2 cubic feet of cargo, while interior volume measures 111.8 cubic feet.

Standard on F-150 Crew Cab is a 4.6-liter Triton V8 good for 220 horsepower. An optional 5.4-liter Triton V8, named one of Ward's Top Ten Engines for 1999, pumps out 260 ponies. An automatic transmission transfers power to the rear wheels on two-wheel drive versions, or all four wheels on four-wheel drive models. Available in XLT or Lariat trim and sporting a slab-sided Styleside bed with Flareside tail lamps, the attractive F-150 Crew Cab will arrive in showrooms about a year from now.

Not long after the F-150 Crew Cab debuts, the Explorer Sport Trac will be available at the local Ford dealership. A descendant of 1996's Adrenalin concept truck, the Sport Trac is based on an upcoming Explorer redesign. It seats five passengers forward of a 4.5-foot cargo bed that includes a folding, lockable tonneau cover.

Available in 2WD or 4WD versions, the Sport Trac is powered by a 204-horsepower, single-overhead-cam, 4.0-liter V6 engine that meets low-emission vehicle standards. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission. A premium sport group adds large 16-inch tires mounted on stylish brushed aluminum wheels, while a roof-mounted luggage rack expands cargo capacity.

The SUT finally becomes reality in the next millennium, sold as the vehicle that really can do it all. However, until the F-150 Crew Cab gets the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) Lightning treatment, we'll reserve judgement on that last bit of marketing hype.