Just truckin’ the trend

The truck is revolutionary, but you would never really know it by looking at it.

Under the new F-150’s shiny paint, the steel body panels have been replaced with aluminum, somehow without driving the price through the roof.

Yes, that’s just how much Ford has riding on the new F-150: It’s willing to spend millions of dollars to make a truck … lighter.

The tricky part, it seems, is telling you that you need a truck when you can’t really see why.

Using aluminum to save weight is commonplace when it comes to luxury sports cars and high-end production models such as Jaguars and Land Rovers. But until now it has never been attempted for a high-volume vehicle such as a pickup. Cost is one issue and concerns over dent-and-ding durability is another, but Ford seems to have both in check.

So, the upshot of aluminum boils down to just this one number: 700. Ford claims the aluminum F-150 is “up to” 700 pounds lighter than the previous steel-bodied trucks, depending on the model (e.g. when comparing base Regular-cab curb weights, the 2015 version weighs 635 pounds less than its 2014 counterpart). However a slight shrinkage in overall size and a 60-pound reduction in the ladder-type steel frame also contribute.

Regardless of the metallurgy, the new F-150 has moderately upped its style game while staying the course as a recognizable blue-oval pickup.

Things get a bit more interesting inside the Regular, SuperCab and SuperCrew cabins that have larger fresh-air vents and suitcase-sized floor consoles for storing your laptops, tablets, etc. On the option sheet is a seamless power-operated back window that ingeniously slides open and closed between dual rear-glass panels that have big, square holes in them.

More ingenuity is beneath the hood where there are four power-plant choices. The starting point is a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 283 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. It replaces the previous 3.7-liter V6 with its 302/278 rating.

Next step up — or down, from a displacement standpoint — is a new turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 that produces 325 horsepower and a big-time 375 pound-feet of torque. It joins the carryover turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 with its rating of 365/420.

Truckers who insist on the sound and grunt of a traditional V8 can opt for the 5.0-liter unit with its 385/387 rating.

All engines use six-speed automatic transmissions and all are available with rear- or optional four-wheel-drive systems.

The fuel-thriftiest of the bunch is the 2.7-liter turbo that’s rated at 19 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway (RWD). In reality, though, the turbo and non-turbo V6 aren’t that far off. The V8’s numbers are 15/22. By comparison, the Ram 1500’s optional 3.0-liter turbo-diesel is rated at 20/28 while the base 4.3-liter V6 in the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra is rated at 18/24.

Serious truck shoppers are at least, if not more, concerned with payload specs, which is where the F-150 excels. When equipped with the turbo 3.5-liter engine, it has a 3,300-pound hauling capacity and a 12,200-pound towing capacity.

The starting-point XL trim (about $26,500, including destination charges), XLT, Lariat, Platinum and King Ranch trim levels are back for 2015, along with some nifty options. There’s a 360-degree-view camera setup to aid in maneuverability and a remotely operated tailgate (with integrated tailgate step) that can be locked, unlocked and lowered using the key fob.

Ultimately, most pickup patrons, including Ford’s loyal customer base, will be impressed with the much-improved F-150 and the revolutionary way it has tackled the weight issue. Unfortunately, that’s an intangible advantage that Ford will have to work hard to sell.

It’s more likely that increased load capacities and decreases in fuel consumption will win buyers over.