Ford's new F-150 pickup expected in the fourth quarter promises to be the most fuel-efficient version yet, the automaker has said.
The aluminum-bodied version marries style and fuel efficiency for the best in aerodynamics, according to Ford.
"The truck's sharp, boxy shape gives it a tough appearance, but actually the key to the design is aerodynamic efficiency--getting the most out of the shape," Brad Richards, Ford F-150 exterior design manager, said in a statement quoted by Edmunds.com. "We made the F-150 look tough and capable, while also reducing wind resistance."
The EPA has not released fuel economy numbers for the new F-150; however, the 2014 Ford F-150 two-wheel-drive model equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission gets 16 miles per gallon in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway, according to the agency.
Ford says the new F-150 will be more aerodynamic thanks to an updated windshield, a tailgate top that functions as a spoiler and angled rear corners that reduce wind turbulence, Edmunds reported.
"This will be the most fuel-efficient F-150 yet," Ford spokesman Mike Levine told Edmunds in a phone interview on Wednesday. "Our customers are buying the F-150 because they have a job to do and fuel economy plays a part in that."
The automaker started overhauling its Dearborn, Mich., plant this week to prepare for production of the new F-150. Scheduled to be in showrooms by the end of this year, the 2015 F-150 is expected to be more than 700 pounds lighter than the traditional steel-bodied version.
The revamped pickup will be released to the market at a time when gas prices are expected to drop. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that gas costs will fall to an average of $3.30 per gallon in December, Edmunds reported.
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