Automotive engineers and designers do not have an easy life. If a product is a disaster, they have to change several things about it in the midcycle refresh on a tight budget. If it is exceptionally successful, leaving it the way it is is not an option: the competition may always present something that will immediately make the vehicle look old. Ford's good fortune is that it has been used to doing that for the last 46 years with the F-Series. The 2024 F-150 plans to keep its leadership intact with incremental improvements.
When it comes to looks, most changes were on the usual plastic components: headlights, front grilles, and taillights. It is impressive how this kind of nip and tuck may make a vehicle look notably different from its predecessor when no significant changes were introduced. As usual in the F-Series, the front grille helps identify which derivative is in front of you. Hopefully, Ford addressed the design that made an F-150 Limited customer pay $5,600 due to a water intrusion in one of the taillights. You can learn more about it in the video embedded below.
Ford did not disclose pictures of the XT. It only said it would start at $35,570, a bit more than the $33,835 it currently charges for the entry-level version of the F-150. For those eyeing the Powerboost hybrid derivatives, Ford said the starting MSRP for it will match the starting MSRP of the 3.5-liter V6 Ecoboost option. In other words, the pickup truck without hybrid assistance will cost as much as the F-150 with it.
This only makes sense as a strategy: Ford wants its pickup trucks to be more fuel efficient and is supporting the extra cost to turn hybrid versions more attractive when it comes to cost. There is no way that a vehicle with additional components will cost as much as one without them. All prices are already available on the company's website.
Photo: Ford
In our gallery, you can check the XLT, Lariat, Platinum, Tremor, Raptor, and a new derivative called STX. Another change in the lineup was the Platinum Plus, which replaces the Limited trim as the most expensive for the F-150. There was no word on the F-150 Lightning.
The American automaker is betting a lot on the Pro Access Tailgate. This new tailgate has a central section that opens sideways at three angles: 37º, 70º, and 100º. Built-in stops keep the swing gate in those positions. Ford states that this gives easier access to the bed's interior even when towing. As it opens sideways, it provides 19 inches of additional reach for obvious reasons: the tailgate does not work as a 19-inch barrier. The way Ford talks about it, the Pro Access Tailgate will be an extra, but the automaker did not disclose its cost.
Pro Power Onboard is another feature that should be extremely useful for F-150 buyers who use it as a work tool. Current units of the pickup truck already have it, and it was particularly beneficial during the past winter storms in Texas. The difference is that the 2024 model year can offer up to 7.2 kW. According to Ford, that's enough to "comfortably supply power to a framing crew, mobile metal/welding shop, or dirt-bike mobile shop for 32 hours straight." Only vehicles with the 3.5-liter V6 PowerBoost powertrain can have Pro Power Onboard.
Photo: Ford
Ford stressed that the 2024 F-150 has "purposeful technology," meaning they are "about getting the job done." A YouTube video created by the company shows some of these techs, such as Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which automatically aligns the truck and the trailer. Imagine a Park Assist that takes care of putting your vehicle in the best position for hitching a trailer, and you'll understand what it does.
The automaker also offers Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which works in the same way as Park Assist, only with the trailer in mind. Add to this list a head-up display and BlueCruise. Consumer Reports named this hands-free highway driver assistant the best one currently available while putting Tesla's Autopilot in the seventh position. Ford said the F-150 will have an improved version called BlueCruise 1.2.
Photo: Ford
The new software presents new capabilities. One of them is Lane Change Assist, which performs a hands-free lane change when the turn signal is activated. In-Lane Repositioning makes the pickup truck subtly shift away from vehicles in adjacent lanes. Considering how some updates make things worse, it is advisable to wait for the first reviews to check if BlueCruise 1.2 is better or worse than its predecessor.
Unlike other vehicle presentations, the 2024 F-150 will only be available early next year. Apparently, all vehicles ordered today will already be units of the midcycle refresh. That probably means Ford has a waiting list for the current model that it will only manage to supply by the end of 2023. If that is really the case, the 2024 F-150 will have big shoes to fit. As I wrote before, engineers and designers have a challenging life in the automotive world, but it is clear which scenario automakers prefer them to have.
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