Ford at this time unveiled a refreshed 2024 Ford F-150 that received’t dramatically change the calculation American truck consumers make. As an alternative, it brings a number of new options and tweaks a number of others to maintain consumers .

However when you’ve gotten a constant lead within the race, your job is to not make errors.

Ford’s F-Collection vehicles have held a gross sales lead in the USA for greater than 4 a long time. The corporate is aware of tips on how to maintain a lead.

All the pieces that works concerning the truck stays the identical. But it surely’s getting a number of cool new tips and a refreshed face.

A New Look, Not a New Truck

The 2024 F-150 will not be an all-new design. The F-Collection on supplier tons at this time appeared for the 2021 mannequin 12 months and isn’t sufficiently old to want an entire rework but.

That is what automakers name a mid-cycle refresh – an replace to the truck’s look and some tweaks to options to maintain it aggressive.

Ford hasn’t launched up to date pricing for the brand new mannequin 12 months. The 2023 F-150 begins at $33,835 and might push the $90,000 line totally geared up.

Highlights of the adjustments embrace a brand new, extra versatile tailgate, separate seems to be for every trim stage, and a brand new emphasis on hybrid vehicles at a time when many People are uncertain of going electrical.

So the fundamentals keep the identical – a completely boxed, high-strength-steel body, aluminum physique, and choices for normal, SuperCab, and SuperCrew editions. Common cab consumers can select 8-foot or 6.5-foot beds; the SuperCab could be had with a 6.5-foot mattress; and SuperCrew consumers can select 6.5 or 5.5 toes.

Every trim stage will get its personal separate grille, so truck fanatics will spot the variations whereas informal drivers received’t. A number of get different visible cues, like Bronzed Copper accents on the Platinum Plus version or Electrical Lime accents on the sporty STX.

Twin Shows, With an Elective Third

Inside, consumers of each trim stage now get a pair of 12-inch screens – a digital show within the conventional driver’s instrument bezel area, and a touchscreen within the heart. However essential quantity and local weather management capabilities are nonetheless accessible by way of knobs and buttons large enough to make use of with gloves on.

For the primary time, a head-up show might be provided at each trim stage.

The second row will get a brand new flat load ground with built-in cargo administration options.

Ford says, “The 2024 F-150 would be the first car out there in North America with Ford Stolen Automobile Companies.” This alerts the proprietor, by way of a mobile phone app, “if somebody has gained unauthorized entry to the car akin to any try and entry, tow or tamper with the truck.”

Ford Joins the Tailgate Wars

Nevertheless, the characteristic almost certainly to seem in commercials isn’t within the cabin. It’s within the mattress.

Ford has lastly joined GM and Ram in growing a multi-function tailgate to make loading simpler. Ford’s new Professional Entry Tailgate might be out there on all however the base XL trim ranges and customary on some higher fashions.

It has a middle part that swings out like a door, permitting you to entry the mattress with out reducing your complete tailgate. A deeper, wider rear bumper step helps you to climb out and in extra simply by way of the door-like opening. The fold-out tailgate step and its upright deal with stay to make getting out and in simpler when the tailgate is lowered.

Consumers additionally get a small, locking storage field within the mattress wall.

An Various to Dwelling Mills

The Professional Energy Onboard system is now customary on hybrid fashions and out there at each trim stage. It, Ford says, lets house owners “run extension cords to essential family home equipment akin to fridges, Wi-Fi connections, or area heaters” within the occasion of an influence failure. It’s additionally helpful on the job website, powering instruments.

Fuel-powered vehicles get a 2.7 kW system, whereas hybrid fashions ship with a 2.4 kW system customary. Hybrids can improve to a extra highly effective 7.2 kW setup.

A brand new interface lets prospects monitor out there energy by way of a mobile phone app.

New Base Engine, Emphasis on Hybrids

The 290-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 engine customary on the 2023 F-150 has disappeared from the lineup for 2024. That makes the 325-horsepower 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 the brand new customary engine.

Different choices embrace a 3.5-liter EcoBoost, 3.5-liter PowerBoost hybrid, and 5.0-liter V8 as choices on most trim ranges. The three.5-liter Excessive Output V6 engine remains to be customary on the F-150 Raptor, and the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 remains to be customary on the Raptor R.

Ford hasn’t offered horsepower figures for the out there powerplants, so we’re uncertain if they’ve modified for the brand new mannequin 12 months.

Ford would quite you discover the hybrid choices, anyway. The corporate says it “plans to double the combo of hybrid vehicles manufactured for the 2024 mannequin 12 months to offer much more prospects entry to this superior know-how.”

Ford gives its F-150 Lightning electrical truck for these trying to go all-electric. However the firm believes hybrids could also be a greater possibility for a lot of prospects who lack entry to intensive electrical automotive charging infrastructure.

So, the corporate plans to reply their want with hybrids at no further price. “The beginning MSRP on PowerBoost Hybrid, out there on XLT by way of Platinum Plus, will now match the beginning MSRP on the three.5-liter EcoBoost engine,” Ford explains. “Value parity means prospects will not have to grapple with paying a premium worth simply to have the advantages of a hybrid powertrain.”

Superior Driver Assists, Customary and Elective

Customary gear will embrace pre-collision help with automated emergency braking, a lane-keeping system, and a blind-spot data system with cross-traffic alert.

Obtainable Professional Trailer Backup Help and Professional Trailer Hitch Help ought to make maneuvering to tow simpler.

Each F-150 above the XL trim stage now comes geared up for Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free freeway driving system. Homeowners get a 90-day free trial and might then select to activate it for a month-to-month or annual price. The newest model, BlueCruise 1.2, “can carry out a hands-free lane change on the faucet of the flip sign.”

Tremor, Raptor Return

Ford has made no secret of its technique of utilizing particular editions to spice up gross sales. So, the specialist F-150 fashions return.

The F-150 Tremor returns for “prospects looking for a purpose-built off-roading car that maintains all of the truck performance of F-150.”

Those that can compromise some hauling capability for extraordinary off-road functionality will discover a new Raptor with “new FOX Twin Reside Valve shocks to offer a extra assured, managed using expertise.” A brand new rebound management perform, Ford says, “permits higher potentialities to adapt damping to match physique management to the off-road surroundings by way of Ford Efficiency-developed off-road algorithms.”

Raptor and Raptor R fashions with 37-inch tires get a brand new bumper designed to “expose extra entrance tire in comparison with the normal bumper providing – including to the aggressive styling of Raptor and permitting for extra functionality in tough terrain in comparison with the non-modular Raptor bumper.”

Evolution Is Most likely Sufficient

The adjustments aren’t revolutionary, however they don’t have to be.

Ford’s lead within the truck market means it must make simply refined adjustments to maintain consumers coming again. The Professional Entry Tailgate is a pleasant characteristic, however maybe much less versatile than GM’s Multi-Flex tailgate or Ram’s Multifunction possibility. But it surely retains the competitors from providing one thing Ford can’t reply.

That can in all probability be sufficient to maintain the F-Collection on prime for one more 12 months.