Among the Ford Motor Company lineup, the full-size F-Series pickups deserve special respect. For the American consumer, for more than sixty years of history, they have become part of the national culture and have sold around the country and the world in the amount of twenty-seven and a half million copies. The dominant place and the largest sales volume in this series is occupied by the Ford F150 pickup truck. Appearing on the market forty years ago, this car has gone through twelve generations, but it still remains desirable for many lovers of this technique.
Perhaps this is the reason for such a cautious approach of Ford Motor Company specialists to changes in their favorite. Debuting at the 2008 North American Motor Show in Detroit, the twelfth generation Ford F-150 is more of a deeply redesigned previous version than an entirely new car. The new car is distinguished by more restrained even forms and right angles, massive fenders and bumpers, new optics and, of course, a modified radiator grille, with clearly visible three stripes.
Ford prides itself on offering a personalized customer experience with sixty variations of the Ford F-150. Potential owners have a choice of three cab configurations: standard, extended and double (with four doors), and the body capacity changes accordingly. There are also seven trim levels offering various exterior trim options (18 to 20-inch wheels, three grille options, other bumpers and a chrome package). There's the base XL and extended XLT, the sporty STX and the off-road FX4, as well as the luxurious Lariat and the styled King Ranch. Until recently, the F-150 Platinum edition was also produced, but they decided to leave this luxury for the elite division of the company, the Lincoln Mark LT pickups. Instead, Ford Motor Company produces limited editions. There's a Ford F-150 Raptor SVT with off-road body kits, long-travel suspension, big 35-inch BF Goodrich tires, and a Ford F150 Harley Davidson low-suspension and chrome package. Speaking of the technical characteristics of these Ford F-150s, both are equipped with a 6.2-liter 411-horsepower engine.
In the interior design, the specialists of the Ford Motor Company also did not apply any innovative ideas, leaving, even to please the model's adherents, awkward round air deflectors. The quality of materials and finishes depends on the trim level, there are two-tone and all-leather options. However, the company did not manage to move away from the American disregard for the quality of plastic, the plastic finish is tough and not presentable. Dashboard architecture for cargo vertical. There is plenty of space in the cockpit. Again, depending on the type of cabin for the front row, you can order a sofa, or you can install separate chairs.
In large cabins, the rear sofa folds down in a 40/20/40 ratio, which makes it possible to transport bulky items even in the cab.
In terms of options, Ford is offering a full range of developments for its top pickup truck, including the second-generation Sync system, which provides a wealth of voice-guided information on an 8-inch touchscreen. This system is able to suggest the location of the nearest cafes and gas stations or give out a weather forecast and TV program. It controls an MP3 player, telephony, navigation, monitoring the status of components and assemblies, a rear view camera and much more. In addition, the list of options includes separate climate control, sliding steps and a trailer control system.
In the twelfth generation, the Ford F-150 has improved many characteristics. Its hydroformed, high-strength steel chassis provides greater safety, while its double wishbones front suspension delivers responsiveness and a smoother ride. The improved transmission made the truck noticeably livelier, and the possibility of all-wheel drive provided it with the widest range of applications. However, the power of the Ford F-150 engines remained at 60-80 hp. weaker than nearby competitive pickups.
For its F150 pickup truck, Ford Motor Company has offered four engine options since 2011, complete with an electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission. The most economical is the 3.5-liter Ecoboost six-cylinder engine. At the same time, it provides 63 hp. more power than the 3.7-liter 302-horsepower V6 engine. And of course, it's hard to imagine an American pickup truck without V8 engines, the Ford F-150 has 5.0 and 6.2 liters, and 360 and 411 horsepower, respectively.
Now about the prices for the Ford F-150, which, by the way, is not officially supplied to Russia. And, in principle, until recently, pickups were not in honor of the domestic consumer, and therefore it is rather problematic to find a new model. Roughly the price of a Ford F-150 pickup in the Russian market will be from one and a half to two and a half million rubles, depending on the configuration.
