2015 Ford F150

[King T]

2015 Ford F-150 Shows its Styling Potential with New Appearance Guide

The current-generation Ford F-150 is available in 10 different trim levels, and Ford made sure to give each one its own distinct look using various grille designs, paint combinations and wheel options. We already learned what kind of pricing the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 has in store, but now Ford is showing off some of the truck’s styling possibilities.

In total, the 2015 F-150 will be offered in five trims that will come in no fewer than 13 styling combinations. The added choices come from new appearance packages (Sport and Chrome) that will be available on the XL, XLT, Lariat and King Ranch models as well as the FX4 Off-Road Package that will be offered on all trims including the Platinum. As Ford says, “Sport creates the look. FX4 adds the tough.”

Just in terms of the overall styling of the new F-150, the base XL trim level is recognizable with its steel wheels and black fascia and bumpers. The XL Sport Appearance Package keeps the black grille, but it adds silver aluminum wheels, body-color fascia and bumpers and a Sport decal. Moving up to the XL Chrome Appearance Package upgrades the truck to include chrome bumpers and front fog lights. All XL models come standard with a 40/20/40 front seat and an optional center console with bucket seats.

Opting for the XLT trim starts about the same as the XL Chrome model, but it also adds a chrome grille. Adding a meaner look, the XLT Sport Appearance Package gets a black billet-style grille, body color fascia and bumpers, side steps and the whole look is finished off with a stylish set of dark-accented 18-inch wheels. The XLT Chrome Appearance Package adds all of the same, but with the obvious chrome touches.

Lariat models get a thicker three-bar chrome grille with chrome bumpers and silver-accented 18-inch wheels. On this trim, the Sport Appearance Package adds a gray grille with body color bumpers, while the Chrome Appearance Package goes all out with the shiny bits including the side steps, tow hooks, wheels and door mirrors.

Finally, the F-150 King Ranch gets a three-bar chrome grille with brown mesh inserts and two-tone paint job, while the Chrome Appearance Package adds more chrome to the bumpers, tailgate, door mirrors and door handles. Buyers can opt not to have the two-tone look on their F-150 King Ranch by choosing the Monochromatic Exterior Package.

In addition to the trim levels, the 2015 Ford F-150 is offered with 13 different colors including new hues like Bronze Fire (reddish orange) and Caribou (brown) and 14 choices of wheels including five 20-inch wheel options. Of course, this doesn’t even take into account the engine options and cab and cargo bed lengths that will also help extend the number of build combinations available for the 2015 Ford F-150.

[ilirg]

Looks good, kinds resembles a Tundra from the front but I like it. Lol at the bottom left Camaro rims

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by KMPrenger

Yep...opinions...everyone's got em.

I think the new F-150 looks OK, or even good in some trims/colors, but bad in others.

I think the new Sierra is good looking, but not great. I actually really like the Silverado and don't really understand all the hate, but I know i'm in the minority there. Then again I see them everywhere around here so apparantly others like it too!

I think the Ram looks great too, and might very well be my favorite all around truck.

I agree the Ram looks great. I don't know what it is about the Silverado, but something just makes it seem awkward to me. I think it may be because in my eyes it looks like someone moderenized a early 90s one.

[crysalis_01]

Originally Posted by ilirg

Looks good, kinds resembles a Tundra from the front but I like it. Lol at the bottom left Camaro rims

I guess I'm not really seeing it:

[shaffe]

I don't see it either

[King T]

Ford highlights the seamless sliding rear window on the 2015 F-150

Ford Motor Co. is so eager to show off the innovations and weight-savings built into its aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 pickup, it held a press conference to show off a new sliding rear window that saved just slightly less than one pound.

The maker is racing to get ready for the launch of the new truck and knows there are plenty of concerns about the switch to an “aluminum-intensive” body – made all the more of a challenge by a fire that destroyed a prototype of its next-generation heavy duty pickups, expected to switch to the lightweight metal a year after the launch of the half-ton F-150.

The 2015 pickup will be as much as 700 pounds lighter than the old, steel-bodied F-150, much of that due to the switch to aluminum. But Ford also has cut mass in a number of areas, large and small. That includes the use of a new “seamless” sliding rear window developed in a collaboration with Canadian-mega-supplier Magna International, noted the appropriately named Noah Mass, the Ford engineering manager responsible for sliding windows and sunroofs.

“Delivering the latest in innovation and technology to our customer is a top priority for Ford,” Mass said. “The seamless sliding rear window is another great example of the intricate detail that goes into producing the next-generation F-150, setting it apart from any pickup on the market today.”

Standard sliding rear windows typically contain three pieces of glass – left and right panes that don’t move plus the sliding portion in the middle, all held together by a support structure that requires numerous components. The seamless sliding rear window uses only two pieces of glass – the exterior surround and the sliding portion, reducing build componentry and complexity. The window’s opening is the same size as the outgoing design.

In addition to its streamlined looks, the window’s two-piece design enables continuous uninterrupted defrost capability for the larger surrounding glass.
Mass said the Magna design also contributes to vehicle weight savings, as the seamless power slider uses a lighter window control module. The new window structure weighs 20.74 pounds, compared to the 21.73, resulting in a small but much-appreciated weight savings.

That may not sound like much, but every gram counts –and they add up. While Ford has not released final fuel economy numbers for the 2015 F-150, the general rule of thumb is that a manufacturer gains about one mile per gallon for every 100 pounds of weight-savings. Performance and cargo capacity also improve.

Troy Tooker. design engineering manager for Magna International, said the intellectual property behind the window belongs to Magna, which obtained patents for the technology. “We designed the seamless sliding rear window to deliver not only a new look and improved functionality, but also to start a trend in the truck sliding window market,” Tooker said.

Tooker recalled his phone rang off its hook after Ford unveiled the 2015 F-150 at the North American International Auto Show, and other manufacturers are definitely interested in the technology.

The launch of the new F-150 has gotten plenty attention thanks in part to an aggressive media campaign by Ford’s public relations staff but also because it features so much new technology, starting with that aluminum body. High-strength, military-grade alloys are used throughout the F-150 body for the first time, improving dent and ding resistance and also saving weight, according to Ford.

[King T]

5 Cool New Features on the 2015 Ford F-150

The big news for the redesigned 2015 Ford F-150 is its new aluminum body that saves around 700 lbs compared with the outgoing model. But along with this big innovation come many smaller innovations. Here are five highlights of the 2015 Ford F-150’s new features that include everything from active safety technology to cargo hauling solutions.

Blind-Spot Detection System
The redesigned 2015 truck is the first F-150 to offer a blind-spot monitor. Unlike most systems which mount their radar sensors in the rear bumper, Ford has integrated the 2015 Ford F-150’s sensors into the taillights. This means the sensors are less susceptible to damage and allows for a cleaner integration. These sensors also allow for a cross-path detection system, which is optional on higher trim levels of the F-150 just like the blind-spot monitoring system.

Seamless Sliding Rear Window
The 2015 Ford F-150 features a new rear window design from supplier Magna that makes for a sleeker appearance compared with most power sliding rear truck windows. The so-called “seamless” window does away with the separate panes of glass and seams on the rear window and instead provides a flush, single-piece rear window with a sliding middle insert. This helps save a small amount of weight, provides a slightly cleaner appearance, and affords a continuous heating defrost grid that can operate even when the sliding window is open.

Integrated Tailgate Step
Ford introduced its tailgate step system on the last F-150, and the new generation of this handy tool is slightly easier to use and more integrated into the tailgate. Whereas the last tailgate step’s grab handle protruded from the tailgate even when not in use, the new version folds entirely into a compartment in the tailgate, meaning that the bed surface completely flat when the step is folded.

LED Lighting Throughout
The new F-150 uses LED lighting elements in three key areas: for the headlights, in the bed, and in the side mirrors. The LED headlights make for better visibility and last longer than traditional halogen bulbs. LED lights are also embedded in the walls of the bed to provide brighter illumination of the cargo box. And finally, the 2015 Ford F-150 has LED spotlights mounted under the side mirrors to give off light around the sides of the truck.

Smart Trailer Tow
Thanks to a new wiring harness, drivers can check the status of their trailer connection through the F-150’s touchscreen infotainment system. This will alert drivers if there are any issues with the trailer, such as a burned out taillight or any problems with the trailer battery. There is also a system called Trailer Hitch Assist that uses the existing rearview camera to provide guidelines for hitching up a trailer.

[King T]

Ford ripping up history at Dearborn Truck plant

Organized chaos is under way in and around Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant as the automaker marks a manufacturing milestone.

Saturday morning the plant’s last steel-bodied Ford F-150 rolled off the line and workers were ripping up equipment behind it. Ford has eight weeks to remove all the equipment and tooling and replace it with new machinery to make the all-new 2015 F-150 with an aluminum body.

“We are doing things we have never done before,” said Bruce Hettle, head of North American manufacturing for Ford, who must oversee a critical launch with speed and precision. Because Ford sells at least 60,000 F-150s a month now, returning to full production as quickly as possible is crucial to maintaining Ford’s bottom line.

“It is an enormous undertaking,” said analyst Joe Phillippi of Auto Trends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. “The auto world is going to be watching and the investment world will be watching.”

The upheaval has been carefully orchestrated. The plant is now closed until Sept. 22, which puts about 3,000 workers on temporary layoff starting Monday.

Another 1,500 skilled trades workers and contractors from Ford and its suppliers are working around the clock to build a new body shop that takes a “quantum leap in manufacturing technology,” Hettle said. That’s because the processes for welding and handling aluminum and steel are quite different.

This week, more than 1,100 tractor-trailers with new robots, conveyor systems and other equipment from across the country are headed to Dearborn. They will carry equally huge pieces of machinery away.

Ford is investing $359 million in Dearborn and a comparable amount at its second pickup assembly plant in Kansas City, Mo. Hettle said the cost is not out of line for a major and complicated launch.

Ford’s aluminum truck will have better fuel economy because it is more than 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor. General Motors has signaled its intention to switch to aluminum for its next generation of pickups as well, but Chrysler is sticking with steel when it updates the Ram lineup in 2017.

Dearborn is the lead plant and thus the guinea pig. Workers on three crews built F-150s flat out until the last one rolled off the line Saturday about 1:30 a.m. and Kansas City will continue to build the 2014 model through the end of the year, so dealers should not run out of the 2014 model any time soon. The new truck goes on sale later this year.

Dearborn Truck plans to resume production Sept. 21 when two crews of workers return. A third crew will be recalled Oct. 20 when the construction is to be fully completed. They will start with preproduction trucks. The plant is scheduled to be building production models at full line speed by the end of the year.

The Kansas City plant will shut down in early 2015 for its changeover, which should take less time because Ford already will have validated many of the processes in Dearborn, Hettle said.

The equipment deliveries start Monday, and by Wednesday traffic will be thick on the highways and roads leading to the plant.

Ford has worked with the Michigan Department of Transportation to try to avoid gridlock on I-94 and other roads leading to the plant. They devised a plan that avoids closing any roads and tries to minimize the impact on traffic by carefully sequencing the semis’ schedules.

“It is very detailed and organized,” Hettle said. “We have a truck-by-truck, minute-by-minute, plan. I have never seen such a detailed plan in 28 years.”

For speed, the body shop will be rebuilt in sections. One area will be stripped and new equipment installed. Then workers will move onto the next. It will be a domino effect until the whole shop has been transformed.

“There will be a lot of new equipment never seen before in plants,” Hettle said.

Much of the equipment being removed is still in good shape. Robots can be redeployed and other equipment used in other plants. Some equipment has exceeded its life expectancy and will be scrapped after years of almost nonstop production.

The big changes to the paint shop and final trim line have already been installed. They will just need some last-minute items and tweaks specific to new technology.

Ford has built about 250 preproduction F-150s that the executive team is driving and evaluating.

Senior leadership has been heavily involved. CEO Mark Fields will be at the plant Monday to talk to workers and shoot a video that will be shown to Ford employees around the world. The F-150 is the start of a long-range commitment to aluminum-bodied vehicles as automakers work to meet stringent fuel economy regulations.

The changeover must be completed in four weeks and Hettle is confident it will be.

“There is nothing we see on the horizon to preclude us from launching on time,” he said. “We have to knock it out of the park.”

[King T]

Ford races to rebuild truck plant for aluminum F-150

Carefully choreographed chaos is under way in and around Ford's historic Dearborn Truck Plant as the automaker races to get it ready to build a very different F-series truck.

On Saturday morning the last steel-bodied 2014 Ford F-150 rolled off the line and workers were ripping up equipment behind it.

Ford has just eight weeks to remove all the equipment and tooling and replace it with new machinery to make the all-new 2015 F-150 with an aluminum body.

"We are doing things we have never done before," said Bruce Hettle, head of North American manufacturing for Ford, who must oversee a critical launch with speed and precision.

Because Ford sells at least 60,000 F-150s a month now, returning to full production as quickly as possible is crucial to maintaining Ford's bottom line.

"It is an enormous undertaking," said analyst Joe Phillippi of Auto Trends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. "The auto world is going to be watching and the investment world will be watching."

The upheaval has been carefully orchestrated. The plant is now closed until Sept. 22, which puts about 3,000 workers on temporary layoff at about 74% pay starting Monday.

Another 1,500 skilled trades workers and contractors from Ford and its suppliers are working around the clock to build a new body shop that takes a "quantum leap in manufacturing technology," Hettle said. That's because the processes for welding and handling aluminum and steel are quite different.

Ford's aluminum truck will have improved fuel economy because it is more than 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor. General Motors has signaled that it will switch to aluminum for its next generation of pickups as well, but Chrysler is sticking with steel when it updates the Ram lineup in 2017.

This week, more than 1,100 tractor-trailers with new robots, conveyor systems and other equipment from across the country are headed to Dearborn. They will carry equally huge pieces of machinery away. By Wednesday traffic will be thick on the highways and roads leading to the plant.

Ford has worked with the Michigan Department of Transportation to try to avoid gridlock on Interstate 94 and other roads leading to the plant. They have carefully sequencing the semis' schedules to avoid closing any roads and to minimize the impact on traffi.

"It is very detailed and organized," Hettle said. "We have a truck-by-truck, minute-by-minute, plan. I have never seen such a detailed plan in 28 years."
Ford is investing $359 million in Dearborn and a comparable amount at its second pickup assembly plant in Kansas City, Mo. Hettle said the cost is not out of line for a major and complicated launch.

Dearborn is the lead plant and thus the guinea pig. Workers on three crews built F-150s flat out until the last one rolled off the line Saturday about 1:30 a.m. and Kansas City will continue to build the 2014 model through the end of the year, so dealers should not run out of the 2014 model any time soon. The new truck goes on sale later this year.

Dearborn Truck plans to resume production Sept. 22 when two crews of workers return. A third crew will be recalled Oct. 20 when the construction is to be fully completed. They will start with pre-production trucks. The plant is scheduled to be building production models at full line speed by the end of the year.

The Kansas City plant will shut down in early 2015 for its changeover, which should take less time because Ford already will have validated many of the processes in Dearborn, Hettle said.

For speed, the body shop will be rebuilt in sections. One area will be stripped and new equipment installed. Then workers will move onto the next. It will be a domino effect until the whole shop has been transformed.

"There will be a lot of new equipment never seen before in plants," Hettle said.

Much of the equipment being removed is still in good shape. Robots can be redeployed and other equipment used in other plants. Some equipment has exceeded its life expectancy and will be scrapped after years of almost nonstop production.

The big changes to the paint shop and final trim line have already been installed. They will just need some last-minute items and tweaks specific to new technology.

Ford has built about 250 pre-production F-150s that the executive team is driving and evaluating.

The changeover must be completed in four weeks and Hettle is confident it will be.

"There is nothing we see on the horizon to preclude us from launching on time," he said. "We have to knock it out of the park."

----------------------

Dearborn Truck Plant at a glance

-About 1,100 tractor-trailers on Monday started bringing in new equipment and hauling away old machinery to rebuild the body shop.

-More than 1,500 workers from Ford and its suppliers are demolishing the old body shop and building a new one to make the 2015 F-150 out of aluminum.

-Dearborn Truck produces about 1,200 F-Series trucks a day.

-It takes about 20 hours to produce one F-Series truck.

-Dearborn Truck employs about 3,600 employees. About 3,000 went on temporary layoff on Monday and will get about 74% of their pre-tax pay during the downtime.

-Two crews of workers are expected to be recalled Sept. 22 and the third on Oct. 20.

-The plant is 2.6 million square feet with a 4.2-mile assembly line.

-The 299 robots in the body shop will be replaced. There are 40 robots in the paint shop and 8 in final assembly.

-Trucks made in Dearborn are exported to Canada and Mexico.

[khell86]

This thing is going to be a hit.

[motorhead]

Those two articles about the plant posted above would have me worried to buy an early version truck. I would wait a few years on this new F150 til the bugs get worked out.

[shaffe]

I can not wait to see/drive a new F-150. If the 2.7 ecoboost gets good mileage (and real world users report it as well) the F-150 could be my next vehicle. I really think its between a F-150 and a GMC Canyon....just need to drive both and see what the budget affords.


and I really want the damn build and price sites up on both of them!!!!!!!!

[LOWDOWN]

Originally Posted by ilirg

Looks good, kinds resembles a Tundra from the front but I like it. Lol at the bottom left Camaro rims

"Tundra influence", depending on grill chosen (and "inspiration" for the Tundra?):

[King T]

(Press Release)



HOW FORD ENGINEERS MADE THE ALL-NEW F-150 THE TOUGHEST-LOOKING, MOST AERODYNAMICALLY EFFICIENT F-150 EVER

-Distinctive Built Ford Tough style of the all-new F-150 pushes boundaries of bold design while increasing aerodynamic efficiency over the previous model
-F-150 evolves hallmark design cues from first F-Series trucks
-Restyled badge echoes design elements throughout

Designers of the 2015 Ford F-150 had a challenging goal to meet when they set out to reimagine the world’s best-selling pickup: Create an aerodynamic, efficient design that did not compromise the tough, bold looks that define Ford trucks.

The team succeeded.

The new F-150’s structured look features squared-off edges, shapes and surfaces that convey confidence, capability and work readiness. Yet these elements also work together to allow F-150 to slip through the air more efficiently.

“The truck’s sharp, boxy shape gives it a tough appearance, but actually the key to the design is aerodynamic efficiency – getting the most out of the shape,” said Brad Richards, Ford F-150 exterior design manager. “We made F-150 look tough and capable, while also reducing wind resistance.”

Aerodynamic testing ensures a happy medium
Richards and team accomplished the feat of balancing strength and efficiency by incorporating sharp edges into the overall design. The strategically designed edges convey toughness, but also enable airflow to hug the surfaces at the front portion of the truck. Rear corners are designed to allow the air to cleanly detach from the vehicle to reduce turbulence and swirling air that can cause drag and reduce efficiency. The improved aerodynamics help increase efficiency by reducing the work performed by the engine to overcome aerodynamic drag.

The grille is vertical, yet its outer portions are angled back and lead to the headlamps and bumper corners that are also swept back to smoothly direct airflow down the sides, reducing drag. The beveled leading edge of the hood helps promote smooth airflow to the windshield and roof.

As the design of the all-new F-150 evolved with clay models, wind tunnel testing enabled designers to see where they could gain greater aerodynamic efficiencies:

-Flush-mounted windshield eliminates need for molding that would disrupt smooth airflow
-Tailgate top is designed to act as a spoiler, giving air that flows off the roof a place to land before smoothly trailing off, reducing turbulence behind the truck
-Cargo box is narrower than the cab, with no reduction in box volume, which enhances airflow, while a trim piece prevents air from getting trapped between cab and box
-Rear corners including taillamps are precisely angled so air breaks off cleanly, reducing turbulence behind the truck
-The duct under the headlamp channels air through to the wheel housing and reduces the wake generated from the wheel.

“Testing in the wind tunnel helped us fine-tune a happy medium between styling, aerodynamics, engineering and cost,” said Richards. “We learned where we could push shape and design to reduce drag, and where to stop when we weren’t gaining anything.”

Toughness is in the details
“The shapes, lines, angles and motifs are much stronger on the all-new F-150, and the chiseled edges convey toughness,” said Richards. “The hallmark beltline along the outside mirrors is the strongest piece of Built Ford Tough DNA. That’s inspired by heavy equipment such as cranes and bulldozers. It looks good, but it also improves driver visibility.”

The dropped beltline styling element can be seen in the outline of the headlamps and taillamps, while bevels, angles and notches are incorporated into the hood, windshield and tailgate, as well as throughout the interior, including the sew patterns on the seats.

F-150 also retains heritage design cues, such as the familiar headlamp shape that evokes the grille surround of the 1948 Ford F-1 and wraparound steel front bumper.

New badge signifies efficiency, leadership
Design details of the truck carry over to the new badge design, in which the characters are shaped with bevels to mimic those found in the body design.

The signature “F” has been opened up to signify a lighter, more efficient truck, yet it’s also larger to emphasize F-Series truck leadership.

The new badge design, using a font called Bold Leadership, will eventually find its way onto all F-Series trucks – right on through to the medium-duty Ford F-750.

“F-Series is all about bold and tough,” said Marco Querciagrossa, who leads badge design for Ford vehicles. “We created a badge that confidently conveys that.”