DESIGN DOESN’T STRAY
Ford’s 2021 F-150 keeps the popular truck’s basic bones, but adds some sweet features
Ford’s not making many cars anymore, but it sells a lot of trucks. When it’s time to update the one that outsells everything else in Canada and the U.S., the company has to get it right.
So rather than a from-theground-up remake, the 2021 F-150 sticks with the same chassis and tweaks its existing engines. But then Ford massages the exterior styling, redesigns the cabin, adds numerous new features and sends out its first full-hybrid pickup truck.
The F-150’s basic bones don’t change. It’s still available in Regular Cab, Supercab, and Supercrew configurations. It still rides on a fully boxed steel frame, and with an aluminum body.
There are six powertrains, and now all use a 10-speed automatic transmission. In terms of non-turbo engines, there’s a 3.3-litre V-6 or 5.0-L V-8. The two turbocharged gasoline V-6 engines are a 2.7- or 3.5-L Ecoboost, and the 3.0-L Power Stroke V-6 turbodiesel also returns. Horsepower and torque numbers are still a secret, as are the towing and payload capacities.
The new hybrid, called Powerboost, uses the 3.5-L Ecoboost
V-6 with the 10-speed automatic, along with a 35 kw electric motor and 1.5 kwh lithium-ion battery. It automatically switches between gasoline, electricity, or a combination of the two, depending on driving conditions. It also recharges the battery through regenerative braking and doesn’t get plugged in. Its specifications are also under wraps.
Rather than being packaged in a stand-alone hybrid truck model, the Powerboost hybrid system is an option, and can be added to any of the trim levels.
All full-sized trucks are ridiculously oversized these days, but while this new F-150 isn’t shrinking back toward reality, at least it didn’t grow any larger than the old one. The same basic design is still there, but every exterior panel has had some work done to it. For instance, the front fenders are higher, the headlights are tweaked and the doors are tucked in the middle. The bumpers wrap around and there’s a new power-dome hood. The tires are larger in diameter, and the wheels are pulled out by 19 millimetres.
The new tailgate doubles as a work bench, with indentations for C-clamps, a built-in ruler, and cleats for strapping down long loads, and at tailgate parties you can use the cleats as bottle openers. Since it’s almost impossible to reach into the box without climbing on the rear tire, the available power running boards now stretch farther back for a step up. There’s an optional on-board generator, too, with its outlet plugs in the box side. It comes in three power levels: 2.0 or 2.4 kw, plus a 7.2 kw unit available on the hybrid that can simultaneously power enough tools for a crew to frame a house.
The outgoing F-150’s cabin was a bit tired, and from the pictures I’ve seen, the new one is a considerable improvement. The 4.2-inch touch screen on base models upgrades to an eight-inch one, while upper trims get a new 12-inch display. The designers were smart enough to keep some buttons and dials below it to control many of the functions.
Should you want to snooze during lunch hour at the work site, there’s an available flat-folding driver’s seat. For those who use laptops in the truck — apparently, a third of F-150 owners do — you can fold the gearshift lever into the console, unfold a console-mounted tray over it, and have a flat surface for your computer. Or for your lunch.
They include a new Sync 4 infotainment system as standard equipment, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity, and over-the-air updates including vehicle software upgrades that eliminate a dealer visit for installation. In addition, there is a digital owner’s manual with how-to videos, and new features on the Fordpass mobile app, such as a trailer light check and a warning if someone’s trying to steal your trailer.
The F-150 will also offer Active Drive Assist, a self-driving feature similar to Cadillac’s Super Cruise that works on some 160,000 kilometres of pre-mapped roads in Canada and the U.S. For now, though, the truck only comes with the hardware. If you want to drive hands-free, you’ll have to buy the matching software when it’s released next year.
So far, only the F-150 gets the “all-new” designation. The Super Duty was refreshed for 2020, and will carry over into 2021. There will be a 2021 Raptor, but that’s all Ford will say right now. The F-150’s pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date in November. Driving.ca