2021 Ford F-150 Leaps Into The Future With New Design And Tech

The 2021 Ford F-150 has been officially revealed and brings with it a plethora of important updates over the outgoing model.

As recent spy shots indicated, the exterior look of the new F-150 isn’t dramatically different than the model we’re all familiar with. With that being said, heaps of obvious changes have been made to both the exterior and interior of the new pickup.

The body of the new F-150 is made from military-grade, aluminum alloy and includes new headlights, a power dome hood, and wrap-around bumpers. There are also higher front fenders and larger diameter wheels and tires that better fill out the truck’s arches. F-150 customers will have no less than 11 different front grille options to choose from.

Ford says the new F-150 is the most aerodynamic iteration ever thanks to active grille shutters, a new automatically deploying active air dam, and new cab and tailgate geometry that all work together to reduce drag and improve fuel consumption.

A multitude of significant changes has been made to the interior of the new pickup truck. For example, a 4-inch digital gauge cluster comes standard alongside two analog gauges while XL and XLT standard and mid-series models also use a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display. More expensive XLT high series and other variants support a 12-inch infotainment display. The digital instrument cluster is also available in 8-inch and 12.3-inch configurations.

The F-150 is also North America’s first full-size pickup with standard over-the-air updates that will last throughout the life of the vehicle. Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment software comes standard and the truck supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SYNC AppLink with apps like Waze and Ford+ Alexa.

In a bid to make the new F-150 the ultimate, anywhere office, Ford has signed an optional ‘Interior Work Surface’ on the center console that provides a nice area of bench space when the truck is parked. Adding to the home-away-from-home practicality of the truck are optional Max Recline seats available on the King Range, Platinum, and Limited models. These seats can fold flat to nearly 180 degrees with the bottom cushion rising to meet the back cushion and the upper back support rotating forward up to 10 degrees for maximum comfort.

The new Ford F-150 promises to provide occupants with an excellent auditory experience thanks to two optional audio systems. The first is a B&O Sound System with eight Bang & Olufsen speakers while the second is an 18-speaker B&O Sound System Unleashed by Bang & Olufsen with HD Radio.

A host of driver-assist technologies are available through Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0, such as Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection, a rearview camera with dynamic hitch assist, auto high-beam headlamps, and auto on/off headlamps. Also included is Active Driver Assist that allows for hands-free driving on more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in all 50 U.S. states and Canada. This system includes a driver-facing camera to track head position and driver eye gaze.

The only powertrain detailed by Ford at the time of writing is an all-new 3.5-liter PowerBoost full-hybrid V6 that will be available on every trim level from F-150 XL to Limited. This powertrain combines Ford’s proven EcoBoost engine with a 10-seed SelectShift automatic transmission that works alongside a 47 hp electric motor integrated into the transmission. Regenerative braking is included as part of the powertrain to help recharge the 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The F-150 with this engine is good for at least 12,000 lbs of maximum towing capacity and should be able to drive roughly 700 miles on a single tank of gas.