Ford has announced fuel economy figures for its possibly game-changing, newly aluminum 2015 F-150 pickup.
The refreshed lineup equipped with a 2.7-liter engine will get EPA-estimated ratings of 19 miles per gallon for city driving, 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined, which Ford says is the best fuel economy in the full-size pickup segment.
The new truck can also tow around 1,100 more pounds and haul as much as 530 more pounds compared with its predecessor.
Using aluminum in the popular F-150--which is purportedly 700 pounds lighter in its latest iteration--is a first for the industry.
The automaker chose the material because it "was how you could give more towing, capability, and better fuel [economy] without compromising anything else," Ford's Eric Peterson told AutoWorldNews in a recent interview.
Ford's decision to revamp the high-volume pickup in aluminum is something of a gamble since the company is investing around $1 billion to retrofit two facilities that will manufacture the 2015 model.
Whether or not the $1 billion bet pays off, Ford seems confident for now.
"I think the reason that truck customers got it more than others may have is because they see it in their industries today: their ladders, their flashlights, their bigger trucks, their airplanes," Peterson said of F-150 customers at last year's Detroit Motor Show. "It's not new to them. They get that. As long as you've tested it out and validated it, they feel more confident and get the concept. It's very logical. There are fewer concerns about it than you may think."
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