2021 F-150 – The Workshop on Wheels

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Words by Perry Mack

What will trucks of the future really do for us? We’ll find out as soon as we get in the driver’s seat of the new 2021 F-150 courtesy the wizards of wheels, the truck engineers at Ford. Some new features are Wow!, some are clever, and some we’re not too sure we’d use. Let’s see what you think.

It’s not a completely new F-150 but like Christmas presents, once you get past the wrapping there are some terrific surprises inside. If you hate electronic features get a good grip on your armchair because you’re not going like what’s coming, but if you’re ready to embrace the future, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how soon it gets here.

Ford says this is the toughest and most productive F-150 ever and the most powerful truck in its class. Let’s find out if they can back up these claims.

The exterior of the F-150 is pretty much the same but there are subtle differences and features that we really like, especially the ones that enhance the performance.

The wheels have been pulled out ¾” to give the F150 a slightly wider, more stable and more aggressive stance. They also say the front fender has been raised so the F150 now has 20 mm larger diameter tires, making them 840 mm (33.07 in). However, ground clearance has not improved. Ford says they have “re-grid the vehicle to lower a corresponding amount.”

And although it’s only a three percent improvement this is the most aerodynamic F150 with active grille shutters which automatically close at cruising speed. Ford has also implemented an active air dam, we like it because it will retract 100% for off-road terrain, which means it will probably be the only air dam we haven’t torn off on the trail. It automatically drops ¾” for slow cruising and fully deploys at 60 kph (40mph) for better fuel economy.

The familiar C-clamp headlamp design hasn’t changed but in addition to halogen and LED there is also LED with what Ford calls dynamic bending in which the headlamp articulates for to lead your truck around curves. Not a new idea, but a good one and we’re glad to see a safety and performance feature like this available in the F-150.

Speaking of lights and lighting – there is more of it. The familiar C-clamp design is in the taillights, there’s zone lighting around the perimeter of the truck, more lighting in the bed including the new tailgate that functions as a worktable.

A lot of folks use their tailgates as work benches and with this in mind Ford has made them even better. There is an integrated ruler, cup and pen holders and a spot to hold your mobile device. C-clamp pockets are now built into the top of the tailgate so you can secure material for cutting and drilling, and there are additional cleats in the gate to use as tie downs as well as bottle openers [pop, ahh]. While the C clamp pockets are a clever idea most folks like us travelling with a skill saw and power drill have a couple of work horses as well to get the job done. We can’t take this feature too seriously as it looks like more for the hobbyist but maybe it will useful for some campsite or trailside repairs?

What we do take very seriously is the fully integrated portable generator called Pro Power Onboard. Hauling around a generator at the farm or to a work site is never fun especially for a repair that don’t expect to have to make. We just finished a job at the farm putting tin on a shed roof. Having a generator on board would’ve been easier than hauling a generator out to the field. It doesn’t take up space in the bed, which is especially handy when you already have a full load of ½” ply. Nor do you need to carry fuel for the generator. Ford offers three generators providing 2 to 7.2 Kw of power. You decide if you need enough to power lights, music and a mini fridge for a tailgate party, or enough for a small crew to frame a house. We like that it is available across all trim levels – so you don’t have to shell out cash in an upper trim that has features you don’t need in order to get the generator. But you don’t get something for nothing, and aside from the cost which we don’t know yet, the generator will add weight, which will reduce your payload capacity. The 2.0 kW generator is available on the 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost as well as the 5.0L V8. The 2.4kW is standard with all PowerBoost hybrid trucks with the 7.2 kW generator being the optional upgrade. Pro Power Onboard is not available with the 3.3L base engine nor the 3.0L Power Stroke diesel.

We have to give an honourable mention to the improved powered running board. It’s been extended towards the back of the truck to give easier access into the bed from the side. It’s configurable so it will extend when you get close to the truck with your key, open with a kick and if you want it will stay open to load and retrieve multiple items.

Some folks get twisted up about cosmetics, and for them Ford offers thirteen different wheels from 17 to 22 inches and eleven different grills so they can make the number one selling truck in North America a little bit their own.

Let’s take a look at the interior where there are some very clever features and future forward software design. In a case of better late than never, F150 owners gets a choice of two larger touchscreen options. XL and XLT now come standard with an 8-inch screen to replace the outgoing 4.2” screens, which have gone the way of the flip phone, and a 12” screen is standard on XLT high series and up. Ford says they placed their touchscreens in a landscape orientation, sideways, as opposed to portrait, up and down like Ram, to allow more room for analog dials and switches down below. The upside for a vertical orientation like Ram’s is when you switch to a split screen you get two viewable landscape screens. But anyone who drives in winter and has to wear gloves will appreciate easy to use analog switches that you get from Ford’s landscape design. The touch screens are designed to work with 2mm leather gloves, but not serious winter wear.

Trying to find space to put your laptop while you’re working can be a frustrating experience and some of us spend quite a bit of dough trying to get it right. In a stroke of brilliance, the engineers at Ford allowed the shifter fold out of the way. A folding worktable then opens and you can get to work on your laptop, or use it to eat your take-out. It may sound like an extra complicated way of getting a usable flat service but it does mean we get to keep our traditional shifter without having to switch to a button or dial shifter, which is the new normal in other trucks.

In front of your steering wheel is a 12” digital instrument cluster which is more configurable than ever before with slick graphics that appear as you select different drive modes for different road conditions. From experience we can tell you that it is really cool... for about a week then you’ll never even know they are there. But until then and for everyone who borrows your truck – it’s impressive.

If trying to figure out all the ways you can configure your screens and instrument clusters tuckers you out. Here’s a feature we love – driver and passenger seats that fold flat like first class seats in a transatlantic flight. Tired and need a 15-minute break - recline 180 degrees and get some shut eye. Your passenger gets the same first-class treatment, which is especially helpful if that person is also your co-pilot.

When you drive an SUV, you have lots of interior space but when engineering a truck, you have to be smarter and more efficient than SUV engineers. Ford has tricked out the F150 with storage space in the glovebox, and extra storage in the centre console and in the door panels. Most importantly is the new lockable storage under the rear seat, without giving up the flat loading space.

Back in 2016 Ford made a choice to handle software development in house and we see some of the results now in the 2021 F-150. It’s the kind of stuff that you can’t see or feel but will make a significant difference in your ownership experience. Vehicles these days are computers on wheels. And like the software in our phone, laptop and desktop, it should be updated to keep up with new functionality and improved security. The F150 now does this ‘Over The Air’ or OTA. Ford says the truck will get updates for functions and additional features from bumper to bumper throughout the life of the truck. Most will happen in the background so owners won’t know it and other larger updates can be scheduled overnight just like your other devices.

Software that you can see and feel comes in the form of Ford’s new Sync 4. I can see some of your eyes glaze over and I can’t blame you but some of the changes will make features you use, easier to use. We like the new voice recognition software which will do a much better job of figuring out what we are saying and get it done – things like hands free voice control, changing music and more.

Another big thing for us is an improved navigation system. Most vehicle navigation systems finish a poor second Google maps, but Ford says their new system will have real time traffic, construction and road conditions along with enhanced Points of Interest information like hours of operation, user reviews, real time fuel pricing and real time weather. We’re looking forward to seeing it in action.

The Ford Pass app has been enhanced again. Using the power of our phones we can remote start, lock-unlock doors, adjust climate controls, locate where you parked your truck, control your zone lighting, do a trailer light check, know if your trailer is being stolen, collect Ford Pass reward points, gives us 911 assist which automatically alerts emergency responders in the event of a crash, and a lot more. BUT, mostly importantly it is complimentary on select model years. That is one less monthly subscription fee in our lives.

Driver assist features are commonplace in new vehicles but the F150 gets the new Co-Pilot 360 2.0 and more features are standard across trim levels. Folks who don’t tow very often will make use of the class exclusive Trailer Reverse Guidance and Pro Trailer Backup Assist.

A new class exclusive feature is a hands-free driver assist. While some of us are still leery of any sort of technology that encourages semi-autonomous driving, Ford’s system is a more cautious approach. First of all, it only works on divided highways – roughly 100,000 miles in Canada and the U.S. The cautious part is it uses an infrared camera focused on the drivers face which monitors head position and eye gaze and works even while wearing sunglasses and a mask. Drivers will be notified by prompts on the instrument cluster when they need to pay closer attention or resume control of the truck.

The 2021 F150’s will ship with all the hardware for active drive assist this fall but it won’t be functional until the summer of 2021 and is only activated for drivers who want it either through OTA or a trip to the dealer for an extra cost.

Most of the powertrain options are familiar to F150 owners but there are a couple of welcome tweaks starting with the runt of the litter the 3.3L V6 which is finally mated to the 10-speed transmission that the rest of the line up has. This means the most affordable engine should see an improvement in fuel economy and a smoother driving experience. The 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost are back and Ford says they now make up 60% of F-150 sales. 5.0L V8 gets cylinder de-activation tech for better fuel economy, and the 3.0L diesel Power Stroke returns unchanged.

The new kid on the block is the 3.5L PowerBoost V6 hybrid, which is available on all SuperCrew models from the XL trim level and up. Ford says it’s their 4th generation hybrid technology optimized for truck customers. It’s the 3.5-liter twin Turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, a 35-kW electric motor integrated into a 10-speed transmission, and a compact 1.5 kWh liquid cooled lithium ion battery. The battery is tucked under the load floor between the frame rails so Ford says PowerBoost equipped trucks will have the same cabin and cargo space as all the other SuperCrew trucks. The system uses regenerative braking energy capture to recharge the battery as well as the 35kW electric motor. While Ford isn’t telling us exactly what the torque and horsepower numbers are, they promise they are targeted to be the highest of any light duty truck. Now, the 2020 3.5L EcoBoost cranks out 375 horsepower and 470 lb ft of torque. Best in class could mean more ponies and twist, unless like the Ram 1500, the hybrid system doesn’t add the extra jam at the top end but instead provides a boost through the same range. This is still good as it will improve acceleration when towing and carrying a heavy payload.

They also say the PowerBoost will have a minimum of 12,000 lbs max tow. And as good as 12,000 pounds is, the 2020 F-150 XL SuperCrew in a 4x2 with the 3.5L EcoBoost and a max tow package is able to drag 13,200 lbs, so 12000 pounds of max tow is a little light. This lower estimate may be a result of the extra weight in the truck from the generator and the hybrid system.

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Ford also hasn’t revealed the fuel economy numbers for the Power Boost, but they have said it should get over 700 miles on a single tank. Since the tank size is 30.6 gallons, we’re looking at a fuel economy rating of better than 22.9 miles per gallon – probably in a 4x2 on the highway. Since the current 2020 4x2 3.5L gets 25 mpg on the highway, we’re looking at comparable but not outstanding numbers, unless the hybrid can get closer to 800 miles per tank. The upside is that the extra torque and horsepower in hybrid Power Boost should outperform the existing 3.5L by doing a more efficient job while towing. Official EPA numbers are coming later this year.

At the end of the day, the 2021 F-150 has some terrific new features to make the cab a more comfortable, secure and better place to work, while the improvements in the tailgate and the addition of an onboard generator can make working and playing from the business end of the truck a lot more fun and productive. Driver assist features have come up a couple of notches and are now included across the line making the affordable trims a better value than the 2020 F-150.

The new 2021 Ford F-150 will be rolling into driveways this fall.

What new features can you see yourself using, and what’s your take on hands free driver assist – good or bad? Please let us know in the comments below.

Watch the video here - https://youtu.be/126qBjvK90E