By Robert Musial | Ford World
DEARBORN -- Rolling into dealerships this month, the 2009 Ford F-150 continues the 31 years of truck leadership that comes from listening to customers.
2009 F-150 XLT
Acting on what they heard, Ford designers and engineers created a truck that delivers more capability, more choices and more smart features, all wrapped up in a package that also delivers unsurpassed mileage.
These days, the top purchase considerations for pickup buyers are durability, value and fuel economy, especially with gas spiking above U.S. $4 a gallon at times.
“As the industry leader, the new F-150 delivers on all three,” says Matt O’Leary, chief engineer, Ford F-150.
With a new high-strength chassis as its backbone, the 2009 truck certainly scores in durability. The new improved chassis helps deliver additional payload and towing capacity.
For value, the new F-150 comes in three cab styles, four box options and seven trim levels, adding such standard features as side curtain air bags, AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™ and Trailer Sway Control. Also available are the Trailer Brake Controller and the Rear View Camera system.
Inside, the F-150’s interior has been retooled with 30 storage cubbies and a flow-through console that is lockable and can holster two or more laptops and file folders.
In addition, the F-150 SuperCrew offers six inches more usable interior space for transporting lanky co-workers, growing teens or friends to dinner on Saturday night.
The second row seats also flip up and out of the way with one hand, giving the SuperCrew a flat load floor with a whopping 57.6 cubic feet of space, easily enough to slide in that huge flat-screen TV from the electronics store.
Value also means the F-150 leads all competitors in its class for cargo capacity (65.5 cubic feet), towing (11,300 pounds) and hauling (3,030 pounds).
Out back, the 2009 F-150 makes it easier to load, unload and move things with its industry-exclusive Tailgate Step™, Box Side Step, Stowable Bed Extender™ and Cargo Management System. At the gas pump, the new F-150 is unrivaled, with mileage improved by an average of 8 percent across the line and up to 12 percent on certain models. Best-in-class aerodynamics, powertrain upgrades and a new six-speed transmission all contribute to the fuel economy improvements.
The brand new SFE (superior fuel economy) package achieves 15/21 mpg. Unlike Chevy Silverado’s latest econo package, it does it without wrestling a tonneau cover over the bed and having to unbolt the front chin spoiler to go off-road. The SFE tows 500 pounds more than the Chevy, too.
It’s also enough to score better mileage than the new Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan. The new F-150 is also the safest F-150 ever with the most comprehensive safety features of any pickup, including standard side air curtains, side air bags and a new safety cage, all engineered to earn top safety ratings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
