The 2015 F-150: Ford’s Bold New Design

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling, most-trusted pickup truck on the road for decades. It is used by more builders, contractors, landscapers, and workers than any other truck, and that’s a fact*. It would not be too much of a stretch to call the F-150 and American icon. With all that in mind, there is huge news for the devoted legions of F-150 fans out there: the 2015 Ford F-150 will future a revolutionary redesign that will make it stronger, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than ever before. The 2015 Ford F-150 will be roughly 700 pounds lighter than the 2014 model; that is a weight reduction of about 10-15% depending on whether it is a regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab. This reduction in weight is achieved through using a combination of high-strength boron steel for the frame, and high-strength aluminum for the body panels. The addition of high-strength aluminum is the result of more than 25 years of research on Ford’s part, as well as billions of dollars in investments for new tools, machines, and processes to work with the new material.

High-strength aluminum is not your run-0f-the-mill aluminum found in soda cans: this is a material used in aerospace and military designs due to desriable properties such as  its high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance. In fact, the aluminum body panels will be much more resistant to rust and corrosion that the current steel panels.

The 2015 F-150 will also feature several engine options depending on your specific truck needs. The current 5.0L V8 will still be available in the next generation of the F-150, along with two turbocharged options. The current 3.7L turbocharged V6 will be down-sized to a 3.5L turbocharged V6 that will get even better fuel economy. Then there’s the real kicker: a 2.7L turbocharged V6 that is expected to achieve about 30 mpg on the highway. The 2.7L V6 is designed specifically for those whose lifestyle demands a full-size pickup, but who does not need to tow a huge boat, for example. The 5.0L V8 and 3.5L V6 turbocharged engines will still deliver the same raw power and torque for towing, hauling, and everything else you need a pickup for. But for those who need a pickup bed and less towing capacity in exchange for truly impressive fuel economy, the 2.7L will be a complete game-changer for the full-size pickup class.

*Based on Polk survey data for light-duty pickups

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