It wasn't that long ago when we were talking about how unusual it was to have two significant players--Chevrolet and Toyota--in the same full-size pickup-truck segment coming out with new models at the same time. And they're still getting quite a bit of exposure. Now it seems another dynamic-duo battle is heating up in the same arena. Regardless of timing, the stakes are high for Ford and Dodge, as each of their biggest sellers will determine much of their respective fates.
The Ford truck team must be feeling good about what it's just accomplished with the new Super Duty. But make no mistake, if this new F 150 (slated for a 2009 release) isn't a hit, we're not sure how the company will survive. Likewise, Dodge is in hot water, too. With current owners wanting good news, Dodge needs its biggest volume vehicle (in fact, the Chrysler Group's best-selling vehicle) to be an even bigger success when the next Dodge Ram 1500 comes out, also slated for a 2009 release. Both companies have a lot to lose and are most likely worried about going too far, alienating their base. But can they afford to play it too conservative at a time when the new Toyota has changed the rules, fuel prices have hit all the OEs hard, and pickup-truck sales are down across the board?
The issues are relatively simple: Make a mistake, and you're done. Hit one out of the park, and you can play another day. This should mean all sorts of new technology and unique selling features are headed our way. At the same time, the manufacturers will need to do their best to keep prices down and fuel economy up.
Our ever-vigilant spy shooters have seen a lot of activity in areas like Death Valley, the Rocky Mountains, the deserts of Arizona, and in Dearborn and Chelsea, Michigan. And we expect more. Not surprisingly, both truckmakers are being tight-lipped, so we're not likely to hear much for a while (they tend to get especially quiet right before something big happens), but we'll keep our spies on call and pass along whatever we can find.
For now, we'll show you what we've seen, even if much of it's covered with bloated foam and vinyl. We've also listed what we've heard from various sources, but it's not much. Stay tuned.
FORD
Design
About the only thing we can tell, given all the camo, is that the grille looks like it's in for a significant change. Ford made a big deal about the Super Chief last year so we might be seeing the thick, three-bar grille making its way into the pickup and SUV lineup.
Engines
There's plenty of talk about the F-150 getting a diesel of some sort and most people are pointing to the Land Rover's 4.4-liter TD V-8 used in Europe. Fitting it in the engine bay shouldn't be a problem but meeting 2010 emission targets might. International is suing Ford as of this writing for lost future sales because of a broken agreement for a midsize V-6 diesel that was supposed to be in the F-150 by now. Additionally, with the introduction of the new Boss 302 crate engine at last year's SEMA show, we'd expect that somewhere in the mix as well.
Cabs
There shouldn't be too much change here. None of these photos indicates Ford is interested in the Mega Cab/CrewMax segment, neither of which are setting the sales lots on fire.
Towing
Toyota set the bar and now everyone has to meet it. From the photos, it doesn't look like Ford's going to make a 3/4-ton frame and stuff it onto the F-150 platform. Ford's angle will most likely focus on multiple options, one of which could be the strongest towing package in the segment.
The Future
This is a mature design team, many of whom were involved with the last redesign of the F-150. Will they go conservative or extreme? We're not sure, but we do know they don't want anyone to see the smallest part of what we can only imagine is a thorough and dramatic reskinning. Why else would they put so much body cladding on their early runners?