When you've had the best-selling full-size pickup in America for decades, the last thing you want to do is screw things up. That's why the new 2009 Ford F-150 that debuted at the Detroit auto show has an instantly recognizable, comfortingly familiar presence.
On the other hand, resting on your laurels isn't going to cut it either, particularly with relentless competitive pressure from the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra and the upcoming new Dodge Ram. The 2009 F-150 answers challengers with freshly updated styling inside and out, plus a new lighter, stronger frame. There's also more horsepower, better fuel economy, boosted towing and payload capacity and a welcome 6-inch stretch to the Super Crew cab.
It's all about doing stuff, and that's what makes the 2009 Ford F-150 an American icon.
Luxury's Hot in a Cooling Truck Market
Given the current economy and the weakness of the construction industry, the sales of full-size pickup trucks cooled off 3 percent in 2007. But one of the quirks of the complex truck market is the increasing sales of the most expensive truck models.
The 2009 Ford F-150 plans to meet the demand for luxe trucks with a new trim level called Platinum. With an MSRP expected to be in the neighborhood of $50,000, the Platinum has a distinctive satin-chrome grille, along with many upscale perks that are aimed to please the urban trucker. It joins the well-equipped King Ranch and Lariat, midlevel XLT, off-road-oriented FX4, sporty STX and basic XL.
With these seven models, plus three cab styles and four box options, Ford says 35 different configurations are available — more than any other full-size pickup, Ford claims.
Three V8s (and More Engines To Come)
No matter what the prices might be on the fuel pumps at the local station, a pickup truck has to earn its keep, so it's no surprise that power is a pickup's most important product. The F-150 measures up with three V8s, though the message is efficiency as well as grunt.
Ford can't yet back up its claims with hard numbers, but the top-rated engine is an improved 24-valve 5.4-liter Triton V8 with a different injection technology that's meant to increase power under large throttle loads without compromising emissions or efficiency. The engine can run not only on gasoline but also E85 ethanol.
New for '09 is a 24-valve 4.6-liter V8, which also features the same Ford injection technology. This engine is meant to offer a compromise between peak output and fuel-efficiency. There's also a 16-valve 4.6-liter V8 that replaces the former V6 option, as it delivers the same fuel economy as the V6, only with more horsepower.
Want more? Ford is promising both a diesel and a high-tech turbocharged gas engine with direct injection for 2010.
Of course, the big news here is the availability of a six-speed automatic transmission for the 5.4-liter Triton V8 and the 24-valve 4.6-liter V8, a choice that improves fuel-efficiency by 1 mpg, Ford claims. The entry-level engine makes do with a four-speed automatic.
Get Towed
The days of increasing payload capacity by adding more iron and more engine are done. Instead it's all about efficiency.
Beneath the all-new sheet metal (including a new contoured tailgate that's designed to echo the styling themes of the F-150's three-bar front grille), the F-150 rides on a new, fully boxed frame that features hydroformed side rails made from high-strength steel. A structure of high-strength Boron steel with a seam-welded roof also surrounds the cab, creating a kind of safety cage.
The use of high-strength steel contributes to a 10 percent increase in torsional rigidity, while also reducing weight by 100 pounds compared to the previous-generation frame, thereby helping to improve the F-150's payload capacity and towing capability. Though Ford isn't throwing around specific numbers just yet, it's claiming the most towing capability in the segment.
To make hauling both easier and safer, every Ford F-150 has standard stability control with a sensor that predicts the vehicle's path, a measure to keep the truck running straight and true, and it also works in conjunction with an additional electronic calibration to reduce trailer sway. The stability control also has a roll sensor, so the truck won't trip over its outside front tire.
An integrated trailer-brake controller is also available, and the transmission features a tow-haul mode. A reverse camera system makes it easy to hitch up a trailer, with the rear view displayed either by the navigation screen or the rearview mirror on models without a navigation system.
Boots on the Ground
The front suspension of the 2009 F-150 shares some of its pieces with the Expedition SUV. This independent double-wishbone design has refinements to deliver more precise steering than you've customarily experienced in a pickup truck.
Out back, the rear dampers are now mounted outboard of the leaf springs, and the springs themselves are now 6 inches longer. Ford claims this setup improves lateral compliance for better ride quality, yet also furnishes better roll control.
Perhaps just as important to your feeling of control will be the way Ford has tuned the F-150's acoustic profile. Instead of simply smothering every source of noise, Ford has tried to give the car a unique signature that delivers an impression of power as well as composure.
The Blessed Box and All Its Wonders
Lots of people forget that a pickup truck is all about its cargo box, but Ford doesn't. It made the F-150's box deeper in 2004 to bring it up to a capacity of 65 cubic feet, which leads its class. But soon owners (especially those less than 8 feet tall) complained that they couldn't reach in to work with the cargo unless they were willing to high-jump the side of the box.
Last year Ford introduced a deployable tailgate step at the rear of the F-250, and this year the feature comes to the F-150. In addition, there's also a side step that deploys from the side of the box just forward of the rear wheel.
For even greater utility, there's an available lockable cargo management system with the 6.5-foot Styleside box, a midbox with slide-out drawers, a stowable bed extender and even a new capless fuel-filler system. All this makes the F-150 well-armed for any smackdown of customer satisfaction features.
The Electronic Workplace
Ford tells us 44 percent of F-150 buyers watch professional bull-riding and pretty much everybody watches NASCAR. Plus it promotes the F-150 through a network of country music, hunting and outdoor outlets. But apparently guys who wear work gloves can also appreciate modern conveniences.
That's why the F-150 offers a wide array of advanced features. Ford Sync provides voice-activated hands-free communications and entertainment, and includes Ford's emergency service (911 Assist) and a monitor for the mechanicals (Vehicle Heath Report). Sirius Travel Link teams up with the available voice-activated navigation system to provide real-time traffic information, coast-to-coast weather conditions and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations. There's also an available 700-watt 10-speaker Sony audio system.
The F-150 Super Crew even plays a role here, because the combination of a 6-inch stretch, a flat load floor and a one-touch flip-up seat cushion for the rear bench seat delivers 57.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity. You can even slide a big-screen TV into place and bring it home from Circuit City.
One Truck Fits All
The 2009 Ford F-150 is America's most popular vehicle, the one truck that fits all needs. Of course that's because it comes in so many shapes and sizes, including no fewer than 12 different wheels in various sizes and styles.
Yet the 2009 version of the F-150 seems to be about more than a utility free-for-all. Ford claims it's made an effort to make this truck a more well-integrated piece, able to do a better job of everything a truck must do.
You can even see it in the interior, which has its first comprehensive makeover since 2004. There's a new standard of refinement matched with utility, most noticeable in the longer center console that can hold two laptop computers.
The 2009 Ford F-150 promises us a lot, and we'll be waiting to take a drive when it arrives on the showroom floor in May.
On the other hand, resting on your laurels isn't going to cut it either, particularly with relentless competitive pressure from the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra and the upcoming new Dodge Ram. The 2009 F-150 answers challengers with freshly updated styling inside and out, plus a new lighter, stronger frame. There's also more horsepower, better fuel economy, boosted towing and payload capacity and a welcome 6-inch stretch to the Super Crew cab.
It's all about doing stuff, and that's what makes the 2009 Ford F-150 an American icon.
Luxury's Hot in a Cooling Truck Market
Given the current economy and the weakness of the construction industry, the sales of full-size pickup trucks cooled off 3 percent in 2007. But one of the quirks of the complex truck market is the increasing sales of the most expensive truck models.
The 2009 Ford F-150 plans to meet the demand for luxe trucks with a new trim level called Platinum. With an MSRP expected to be in the neighborhood of $50,000, the Platinum has a distinctive satin-chrome grille, along with many upscale perks that are aimed to please the urban trucker. It joins the well-equipped King Ranch and Lariat, midlevel XLT, off-road-oriented FX4, sporty STX and basic XL.
With these seven models, plus three cab styles and four box options, Ford says 35 different configurations are available — more than any other full-size pickup, Ford claims.
Three V8s (and More Engines To Come)
No matter what the prices might be on the fuel pumps at the local station, a pickup truck has to earn its keep, so it's no surprise that power is a pickup's most important product. The F-150 measures up with three V8s, though the message is efficiency as well as grunt.
Ford can't yet back up its claims with hard numbers, but the top-rated engine is an improved 24-valve 5.4-liter Triton V8 with a different injection technology that's meant to increase power under large throttle loads without compromising emissions or efficiency. The engine can run not only on gasoline but also E85 ethanol.
New for '09 is a 24-valve 4.6-liter V8, which also features the same Ford injection technology. This engine is meant to offer a compromise between peak output and fuel-efficiency. There's also a 16-valve 4.6-liter V8 that replaces the former V6 option, as it delivers the same fuel economy as the V6, only with more horsepower.
Want more? Ford is promising both a diesel and a high-tech turbocharged gas engine with direct injection for 2010.
Of course, the big news here is the availability of a six-speed automatic transmission for the 5.4-liter Triton V8 and the 24-valve 4.6-liter V8, a choice that improves fuel-efficiency by 1 mpg, Ford claims. The entry-level engine makes do with a four-speed automatic.
Get Towed
The days of increasing payload capacity by adding more iron and more engine are done. Instead it's all about efficiency.
Beneath the all-new sheet metal (including a new contoured tailgate that's designed to echo the styling themes of the F-150's three-bar front grille), the F-150 rides on a new, fully boxed frame that features hydroformed side rails made from high-strength steel. A structure of high-strength Boron steel with a seam-welded roof also surrounds the cab, creating a kind of safety cage.
The use of high-strength steel contributes to a 10 percent increase in torsional rigidity, while also reducing weight by 100 pounds compared to the previous-generation frame, thereby helping to improve the F-150's payload capacity and towing capability. Though Ford isn't throwing around specific numbers just yet, it's claiming the most towing capability in the segment.
To make hauling both easier and safer, every Ford F-150 has standard stability control with a sensor that predicts the vehicle's path, a measure to keep the truck running straight and true, and it also works in conjunction with an additional electronic calibration to reduce trailer sway. The stability control also has a roll sensor, so the truck won't trip over its outside front tire.
An integrated trailer-brake controller is also available, and the transmission features a tow-haul mode. A reverse camera system makes it easy to hitch up a trailer, with the rear view displayed either by the navigation screen or the rearview mirror on models without a navigation system.
Boots on the Ground
The front suspension of the 2009 F-150 shares some of its pieces with the Expedition SUV. This independent double-wishbone design has refinements to deliver more precise steering than you've customarily experienced in a pickup truck.
Out back, the rear dampers are now mounted outboard of the leaf springs, and the springs themselves are now 6 inches longer. Ford claims this setup improves lateral compliance for better ride quality, yet also furnishes better roll control.
Perhaps just as important to your feeling of control will be the way Ford has tuned the F-150's acoustic profile. Instead of simply smothering every source of noise, Ford has tried to give the car a unique signature that delivers an impression of power as well as composure.
The Blessed Box and All Its Wonders
Lots of people forget that a pickup truck is all about its cargo box, but Ford doesn't. It made the F-150's box deeper in 2004 to bring it up to a capacity of 65 cubic feet, which leads its class. But soon owners (especially those less than 8 feet tall) complained that they couldn't reach in to work with the cargo unless they were willing to high-jump the side of the box.
Last year Ford introduced a deployable tailgate step at the rear of the F-250, and this year the feature comes to the F-150. In addition, there's also a side step that deploys from the side of the box just forward of the rear wheel.
For even greater utility, there's an available lockable cargo management system with the 6.5-foot Styleside box, a midbox with slide-out drawers, a stowable bed extender and even a new capless fuel-filler system. All this makes the F-150 well-armed for any smackdown of customer satisfaction features.
The Electronic Workplace
Ford tells us 44 percent of F-150 buyers watch professional bull-riding and pretty much everybody watches NASCAR. Plus it promotes the F-150 through a network of country music, hunting and outdoor outlets. But apparently guys who wear work gloves can also appreciate modern conveniences.
That's why the F-150 offers a wide array of advanced features. Ford Sync provides voice-activated hands-free communications and entertainment, and includes Ford's emergency service (911 Assist) and a monitor for the mechanicals (Vehicle Heath Report). Sirius Travel Link teams up with the available voice-activated navigation system to provide real-time traffic information, coast-to-coast weather conditions and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations. There's also an available 700-watt 10-speaker Sony audio system.
The F-150 Super Crew even plays a role here, because the combination of a 6-inch stretch, a flat load floor and a one-touch flip-up seat cushion for the rear bench seat delivers 57.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity. You can even slide a big-screen TV into place and bring it home from Circuit City.
One Truck Fits All
The 2009 Ford F-150 is America's most popular vehicle, the one truck that fits all needs. Of course that's because it comes in so many shapes and sizes, including no fewer than 12 different wheels in various sizes and styles.
Yet the 2009 version of the F-150 seems to be about more than a utility free-for-all. Ford claims it's made an effort to make this truck a more well-integrated piece, able to do a better job of everything a truck must do.
You can even see it in the interior, which has its first comprehensive makeover since 2004. There's a new standard of refinement matched with utility, most noticeable in the longer center console that can hold two laptop computers.
The 2009 Ford F-150 promises us a lot, and we'll be waiting to take a drive when it arrives on the showroom floor in May.
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