Iconic Ford truck sheds pounds

Published: Monday, 1/13/2014 - Updated: 1 minute ago NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

BLADE NEWS SERVICES

DETROIT Some call it a game-changer. Some just shake their heads. Either way, Fords new aluminum-clad F-150 is such a radical departure from past pickup trucks that it dominated talk at the opening of the Detroit auto show.

Ford Motor Co. unveiled the 2015 F-150, whose body is 97-percent aluminum, on Monday. The lighter material shaves as much as 700 pounds off the 5,000-pound truck, a revolutionary change for a vehicle known for its heft and for an industry still reliant on steel. No other vehicle on the market contains this much aluminum.

Its a landmark moment for the full-size pickup truck, said Jack Nerad, editorial director for Kelley Blue Book.

The change is Fords response to small-business owners desire for a more fuel-efficient and nimble truck and stricter government requirements on fuel economy. It sprang from a challenge by Fords CEO to move beyond the traditional design for a full-size pickup.

Youre either moving ahead and youre improving and youre making it more valuable and more useful to the customer or youre not, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said in a recent interview.

Ford wont say what the new trucks fuel economy will be, but two people familiar with the truck told Bloomberg News it will be close to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Chryslers Ram is the current leader at 25 mpg on the highway. The top-rated pickup in the F-150 lineup for the 2014 model year has a 23 mpg highway rating.

It remains to be seen if customers will accept the change to aluminum.

Trucks are put to such hard use. They take bangs and dings and a lot of hard use, Mr. Nerad said. Well see how the use of lightweight aluminum plays out in the field.

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Iconic Ford truck sheds pounds