5 Coolest Details Of The Facelifted Ford F-150

The 2024 Ford F-150 debuted this week alongside its monstrous F-150 Raptor big brother, and there's much to discuss. Ford axed the old base 3.3-liter V6. The PowerBoost Hybrid now costs the same as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost to increase hybrid truck sales. And the Raptor got new Fox Dual Live Valve shock absorbers.

Naturally, there are also some exterior and interior cosmetic enhancements. The F-150 has a fresh face with new standard LED headlights and some new interior color options. Ford will also make it much easier to order a new truck, reducing the complexity by 90% by making the most popular features standard on some models.

There's much to explore in the full reveal article, but here we'll single out the five coolest things about the revised F-150 range.

Ford dumped the base 3.3-liter V6 engine, leaving the 5.0-liter V8 as the only naturally aspirated engine offering. Every other engine in the range is either turbocharged or supercharged.

The old V6 produced 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque and was standard on XL, STX, and XLT models. The new standard engine on these models is the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, which means a power bump to 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. The horsepower bump is negligible, but owners will definitely feel that torque increase.

Even more important is the way that power is delivered. The 3.3 V6 only delivered its maximum torque at 4,000 rpm, while the 2.7 V6 gives you 135 lb-ft more at 1,000 rpm lower. That's good news for every possible scenario this truck might face, including off-roading, hauling, and towing. And it's likely more frugal. We don't have the EPA estimates for the updated truck yet, but the 3.3 did 20 mpg combined.

If you're in the market for a work truck, you'll also be happy to know the maximum towing capacity has also increased from 5,000 pounds to 7,700 lbs.

The Pro Power Onboard feature is not new, but you can now keep track of the available power via the interface of the FordPass app. When Ford first launched Pro Power Onboard, few people had an idea how useful it could be. Americans didn't have to wait long, as Texans used their trucks to power their everyday necessities for three days during the 2021 blackouts.

We experienced the Pro Power at the unveiling of the F-150 Lightning in New York last year. Ford basically took over Dumbo and used a single truck to play music and project a massive display on a canvas placed over the side of Jane's Carousel. Granted, the Lightning has 9.6 kilowatts available, but the ICE F-150 isn't far behind.

The 2.0 kW system is perfect for tailgate parties, while the 2.4 kW version is perfect for power tools. You can also use it to host a drive-in movie. The top-tier 7.2 kW version (only available on PowerBoost Hybrid trucks) can power a framing crew, mobile metal shop, or dirt bike shop for 32 hours.

And now that the PowerBoost Hybrid costs the same as the 3.5 EcoBoost, this feature is more readily available to the masses.

The 2024 F-150 gives customers the option to go for the new Pro Access Tailgate, which is a swing gate integrated into the larger tailgate. We knew Ford would do this more than a year ago, thanks to one of our patent scoops. It opens from the driver's side and provides easy access to the bed, even when towing a trailer. It has built-in stops to ensure you don't bump this expensive option into whatever you're hauling.

It can open in 37-, 70-, and 100-degree increments, providing a wide range of access options. Ford is also currently working on a range of accessories to work in tandem with the Pro Access Tailgate. The press release mentions bed dividers and tonneau covers, but the main aim is to eventually provide a more traditional trunk for the F-150.

We'd love a storage box mounted directly ahead of the miniature tailgate, just large enough for the weekly grocery run.

Like most new cars, the F-150 is connected. This means you get access to the FordPass app and advanced driver assistance features like BlueCruise. Ford is one of the worst offenders for protecting user privacy, but we'll gloss over that for a second because it has added a helpful feature that protects against another F-150 drawback.

The F-150 is one of the most stolen cars in America, so it's the first Ford in North America with Ford Stolen Vehicle Services. This service allows the user to locate and aid in recovering their vehicle if it's stolen. The vehicle can also detect any unauthorized attempt to access, tow, or tamper with it. The owner will be alerted via the FordPass app.

The F-150 is the best-selling truck in America. If we look at the 2022 sales, Ford sold an F-Series truck every 50 seconds. This is despite supply chain issues and Ford's rather poor recall record in 2022. Midway through 2023, Ford was already well ahead of the Chevy Silverado.

Ford's F-Series is so profitable that it can't really be compared with any other truck out there, so instead, Ford provided a comparison to other well-known brands. Last year, the F-Series generated $41.5 billion in revenue (not profit). That's more than Starbucks, Netflix, or Visa.

It's no wonder Kentucky changed its name to Kentrucky for one day to celebrate the unveiling of the new Super Duty.