Ford introduces new F-150
Jan 6, 2003 12:00 PM
Ford Motor Company unveiled its redesigned F-150 pickup at the week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit today.Three cab choices will be offered:
o Regular Cab, a single row of occupant seating and rearward-swinging access doors that reveal a behind-seat stowage area up to 13 inches wide.
o SuperCab, a two-door extended cab version featuring a second row of seating accessed by two rearward-swinging doors.
o SuperCrew, a crew cab that features two rows of seating and four forward-swinging full-size doors.
Regular Cab and SuperCab models have a passenger compartment that is 6 inches longer, providing more space inside for occupants and their gear. For SuperCab models, that extra length means increased rear-seat comfort for three adults in the rear seat. For Regular Cab, it means 13 inches of secure storage space behind the seat.
The new F-150 cargo box is more than 2 inches deeper, resulting in greater cargo volume. The total cargo volume of the 61/2 -foot box, for example, is 65 cubic feet, which is nearly 12 percent better than the current F-150.
Three box lengths and two box styles will be offered: 8-ft, 6.5-ft, and (for the F-150 SuperCab) a 5.5-ft box.
A new standard tailgate assist feature allows the gate to open and close with less effort.
Maximum tow rating is 9,500 pounds and the F-150’s maximum payload capacity is 2,900 pounds. A fully boxed ladder frame has hydroformed front rails and critical cross members that are welded to the rails with a "through-rail" joint to prevent localized flex.
"Wide-footprint" brackets attach the suspension, body and powertrain to the frame to maximize the strength of the attachment point.
