Ford has more than enough riding on the new F-150 to test its payload capacity. The truck has spent three decades at the top of the automotive sales charts, leading as both the top truck and the best-selling passenger vehicle overall.
By migrating from a traditional steel body to one made almost entirely of lightweight aluminum, the 2015 Ford F-150 can be seen as a bargain because of the anticipated fuel savings that will come with shaving as much as 732 pounds off the big truck’s mass.
The new truck’s sticker price jumps by as much as $3,615, depending on the specific model. Ford defends the increase by noting it is adding significantly more content to the 2015 remake of America’s best-selling vehicle.
Some models will include:
• New LED accent lamps, larger video screens, and other new features on most of the models
• Top-line versions, such as the F-150 Platinum and King Ranch edition, get a level of standard equipment more normally associated with luxury cars than work trucks. • The new F-150 could, in some configurations, see a gain of as much as 7 miles per gallon.
• A mileage-miser package that will rely on a new naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 to replace the old 3.7-liter package.
• Adding a 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, the smallest Ford has used in an F-150.
• A turbo package, that could contribute to additional fuel economy gains.
• New information screens and a better audio system
• Heated and cooled front seats and LED lighting in its cargo box.
• New LED headlamps and taillights
• An 8-inch information screen,
• Cargo box lights, side mirror spotlights,
• Remote tailgate release and power lock,
• Twin 400-watt power outlets,
• Push-button start,
• Heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel.
Ford has kept the price hikes to a minimum on its base models, the XL and XLT climbing a modest $395 for 2015, to $26,615 and $31,890 respectively. Those two packages account for as much as 70% of sales in a typical year.
The mid-range Lariat jumps $895, to $31,890 – all prices excluding destination charges.
The big hikes come at the luxury end, the King Ranch rising $3,615, to $49,460, and the Platinum adding $3,055, to come in for 2015 at $52,155.
Read the original article in its entirety.
