The F-150 is New from the Fame to the Cabin.
June 30, 2008The F-150 is reengineered and remodeled from the frame to the cabin.
If there was a single message in the 2009 Ford F-150 debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, it was, “Step right up folks, we have a 2009 F-150 to please anyone.” With 35 variations ranging from the entry level XL to the ultra-lux Platinum Edition, Ford may be right. Choice and customization seem to be the competitive buzzwords in the pickup world. Those and the b-words: brute and beast.
One look at the 2009 Ford F-150 and you know it’s rough, tough and buff. This bad boy is a beast. From the front, it appears to be carved from granite and tall enough to qualify as a mountain. If the new look seems vaguely familiar, you’ve seen it on the F-150 Super Duty, big brother to the “smaller” pickup. The monolithic slab styling applies to the F-150’s flanks, too. It’s all massive, macho and mucho fuerte. Climb in the cab and you can feel the mojo.
The F-150 is indeed taller and the cab has better sound insulation. The new Super Cab crew is bigger all around and has 58 cubic feet of storage, more comfortable flip-up seats and a flat floor. The interior design is completely new with seven trim variations.
The look is so big and bad that you simply cannot imagine a measly six cylinders under the hood. So, for 2009, the F-150 will be all-V8s, all the time. Two versions of the trusty 4.6-liter V8 — one with two valves per cylinder familiar from last year and one with three — will power most models. If you need more oomph, the familiar 5.4-liter V8 with three valves per cylinder is an option. The 5.4-liter and the 4.6-liter with the three-valve heads will come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. The base V8 will come with a four-speed auto. A range of axle ratios will be offered. Ford promises a small increase in engine efficiency for 2009.
In keeping with the “something-for-everyone” theme, the F-150 lineup will consist of three cab styles, four cargo bed configurations and at least 35 individual model combinations. Ford has beefed up the F-150 frame, a fully boxed and partially hydroformed platform that is stiffer, capable of greater payloads and rated for higher towing loads.
Ford says there will be three cab styles—regular, Super Cab and Super Crew, four cargo bed options with lengths from 5.5 feet to eight feet and seven trim levels. The Super Crew line will have a wheelbase that’s six inches longer than that of the current model. The Ford F-150 has a unique tailgate innovation first seen on the Super Duty. A retractable step provides access to one side of the bed. In addition, there’s an accessory three-piece bed extender that folds out from the sides and an optional bi-level cargo management system.
Other stuff includes wheel sizes ranging from 17 inches to 20 inches. Major mechanical systems don’t change: rear- or four-wheel drive, independent front and live axle rear suspensions and four-wheel disc brakes.
There are still five primary models: XL, STX, XLT, FX4, Lariat and King Ranch. However, the F-150 Platinum is new for 2009. It’s a luxury pickup equipped with upscale amenities and convenience items including the SYNC hands-free communication and entertainment system, a voice-activated navigation system and a 700-watt audio system. SIRIUS Travel Link combines with navigation to provide traffic and weather conditions and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations. SYNC, developed by Ford and Microsoft last year, is already being tweaked and will have a new 911 Assist built into it. SYNC will also provide a Vehicle Health Report to the owner via e-mail or text.
Safety, once an afterthought in the pickup world, is now a selling point. The 2009 F-150 will be well equipped for active safety with ABS, traction control, stability control with roll mitigation and something called Trailer Sway Control (TSC). TSC links up your trailer with the F-150’s stability control system to damp inputs transmitted through the hitch to the trailer. Towing with an F-150 pickup is further enhanced by an integrated trailer brake controller and rearview camera assist system.
So Ford’s truck team has designed the 2009 F-150 to convey its strength visually and deliver more versatility than any other full-size pickup truck on the market. Look for the new F-150 this fall.
You can see all the results of recent changes and improvements at Dick’s Mackenzie Ford.
Dick’s Mackenzie Ford
4151 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy
Hillsboro OR 97123
800-783-0863
503-214-5029
A Portland area new Ford dealer near Beaverton Oregon.
