Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Ford F-150

The new 2009 Ford F-150 will get an updated version of its venerable 5.4L V8, and thanks to a sneaky dealer with a camera phone, we have some details on exactly what the updates will be. A new process of fuel injection called 'open valve technology' will give the 5.4L V8 a bump in horsepower from 300 to 320 and increase torque from 365 pound-feet to 390. The technology does exactly what it says: injects fuel into the cylinders while the intakes valves are open (normally they're closed). In addition to the updated 5.4L V8, we also expect some Eco-boost powerplants to drop in the F-150 soon, though whether or not they debut with the new 2009 model isn't known.


[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

click above for more high-res images of the 2009 Ford F-150

The full-size pickup market may be shrinking in sales, but it's more competitive than ever. With the introduction of the 2009 Dodge Ram and this truck, the 2009 Ford F-150, the segment is filled to the brim with modern, next-gen pickups. The best-selling F-150, however, is looking to keep its crown with the introduction of the 2009 model. Like any next-gen truck worth its salt, the '09 F-150 is pretty much better in every way.

Styling is always subjective, and fortunately there are many styles of the new F-150 from which to choose. The XL, STX, FX4, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and new premium Platinum trims all have their own look to varying degrees. Having seen all the different variations, we actually think the new F-150 gets uglier the more you pay for it. That's probably not what Ford designers intended, but the Platinum model's 20-inch aluminum wheels and bright chrome grille with mesh inserts just don't say "Built Ford Tough" to us. We'll take one of the less expensive models with its black bumpers and Super Duty-inspired three-bar grille instead.

Follow the jump for more on the 2009 Ford F-150, including Ford's official press release. Check out all the pics we have so far (more will be added) in the gallery below.

UPDATE: New pics added to gallery. Check out all 113 high-res photos of the 2009 Ford F-150.

[Source: Ford]

Click image for a look at the other model debuts by the NYT

The Old Grey Lady has officially kicked off the Detroit Auto Show 24 hours early, and they brought some party favors for all their readers to boot. The New York Times' Automobiles section has a Detroit preview article (dated 1/13, incidentally) in its feature spot. No longer under wraps are the 2009 Dodge Ram, 2009 Ford F-150 Platinum, Mitsubishi Concept-RA, Ford Verve sedan concept, and the Fisker plug-in luxo-hybrid, as all are featured prominently in the piece's accompanying new vehicle gallery.

The biggest fish in the tank are the two full-size trucks. While Chrysler inadvertently gave us a sneak preview of the Ram last month, Ford has kept the new F-150 well under wraps until now. The model pictured is the tip-top-of-the line F-150 Platinum, in case you were wondering. As for the others, the snazzy blue Ram Sport is looking good to these eyes (more on the '09 Ram here), while the Verve concept looks to be a slightly tweaked version of the one shown in China, updated with a coat of red paint and a modified fascia (note the differences in the foglamps). The Mitsubishi Concept-RA has us hankering for a new Eclipse, while the shapely Fisker PHEV looks like a green vehicle we'd be more than happy to pilot daily. You can read the Times' full preview here. Team Autoblog will assemble in Motown starting tomorrow, but it looks like the fun's begun in earnest already.

[Source: The New York Times]

click above for more spy shots of the 2009 Ford F-150

We've already seen some revealing spy shots of the 2009 Ford F-150 that's scheduled to debut next week at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but the angle was such that we couldn't see the pickup's new face very clearly. Enter KGP Photography, which has just snapped a couple pics of the new grille head on. There's a clearly a lot of influence from the Super Duty line of truck's in the F-150's new design. You can also see the shape of the headlight clusters are very close to those on vehicles like the Edge and Taurus X, with a main headlamp sitting on top of smaller front turn signals. As there are practically a billion configurations for the F-150 that range from stripper work trucks to pampering pickups, don't expect this to be the F-150's only grille. Judging by the fact that there are a pair of foglamps on the front of this prototype, though, we suspect it's an up-level version of the truck.

UPDATE: Check out the F-150's new badge on the truck at Pickuptruck.com.

[Photos: KGP Photography]

We're only a couple weeks away from the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and the premature unveilings seem to be trickling in at a slightly slower pace than they did last year. Ford has managed to keep its 2009 F-150 off the web for the most part (except for these spy shots), which is more than cross-town rival Chrysler can say about the 2009 Dodge Ram. Our friends over at NAIAS headquarters haven't spilled the beans on the Blue Oval's new F-150, but they have given us a glimpse of the truck's new badge.

As you can see above, it looks like designers at Ford have updated the truck's branding in their favorite word processing program by clicking on the Italics and Bold buttons. The brushed aluminum gradient backdrop looks more like a stamped chunk of metal than did the chrome-painted plastic of the current model (right). Well, now that we've got the badge unveiling out of the way, all we have left is the 5,000-lb. truck that has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. since the Brady Bunch was on prime time TV. Let us know what you think of the new logo after the jump.

[Source: NAIAS Newsletter via Top Speed via Jalopnik]

Five years ago Ford debuted the F-350 Tonka Concept, a big yellow concept truck that portended the design of future Super Duty trucks. Along with the chunky looks, the Tonka concept also featured a trick bit of eco-tech called Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA). The system uses a hydraulic pump/motor and high pressure accumulator to recapture kinetic energy when braking, which can then be released when the truck is accelerating to assist the engine. It's a type of mild hybrid system really, though its effect promised to be substantial.

Rumors are swirling around the intertubes that a production version of Ford's Hydraulic Launch Assist technology will debut with the 2009 Ford F-150 at the Detroit Auto Show, or possibly a year later. A figure of 60 mpg was initially thrown around, though we're a bit skeptical a production version of HLA could hit the mark. A similar system, however, has already reached the roads on some special Hydraulic Hybrid UPS trucks that were developed by the EPA in conjunction with Eaton and International Truck, both of which are Ford suppliers, as well.

There's been no confirmation from Ford that the 2009 Ford F-150 will feature HLA, so we'll have to wait until January when the new truck is unveiled in Detroit to find out for sure. If HLA does make an appearance, it'll be the second major shake up in the full-size truck segment debuting in Detroit, the other being Dodge's switch to a coil-sprung rear suspension on the 2009 Ram.

[Source: All Cars, All The Time via AutoblogGreen]

click above image for more spy shots of the 2009 Ford F-150

The 2009 Ford F-150 has until now been kept a closely guarded secret, but the Blue Oval's best seller was recently caught by KGP photographers apparently on its way back to the safe confines of a trailer after a photoshoot. This first look at the undisguised F-150 shows a new front end that features a version of the brand's three-bar grille, though in this case it appears that the upper and lower bars are larger than the center one. The headlights also appear to be very similar to those used on the Edge CUV and Taurus X, dipping down and extending their height closer to where they meet the grille. KGP has also spotted new taillights, new rearview mirrors and subtle changes to the character lines on the sides of the truck.

The spy photographers were surprised to see how little the truck has visually changed, wondering whether it indicates a lack of imagination by Ford or simply a lack of funds. We're fairly certain that Ford doesn't mess around when it comes to its cash cow, so the money must be somewhere, but perhaps it's been invested in things we can't see like upgraded mechanicals and new drivetrains. For better or worse, the pickup wars are largely won on paper where stats can be compared objectively. We're betting the new F-150 will be a stout steed when it's unveiled, presumably at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January. Whether or not its new look is a big enough departure from the current truck, or if that even matters, will be decided by consumers when it goes on sale next year.

[Photos: KGP Photography]

We're betting Ford wants to get the new 2009 F-150 to dealer lots as soon as possible. With increased competition from the new Chevy Silverado and the Toyota Tundra stealing market share, the F-150's title as the best-selling vehicle in the world, a mantle it has worn for decades, is under serious threat this year. The revised 2009 F-150, however, is meant to address this threat head on. While we don't know anything about what mechanical improvements are being planned, these fresh spy shots from The Car Connection show that a styling update will help Ford's best-seller remain a relevant player.

Being that the F-150 is the most important product in Ford's portfolio, the level to which to the automaker has gone to obscure its new styling is extreme. Nevertheless, we can see that the F-150 will receive a version of the corporate chrome three-bar grille. It also appears that its headlights will remain in proportion to its body rather than taking on the "stacked" look of the new Super Duty's lamps. Unfortunately, foam was placed beneath the camoflouge cover in strategic places to hide the truck's new lines, so what we see is an F-150 that looks bundled up for winter in a heavy down coat. We concur with TCC that the 2008 Detroit Auto Show is the likely time at which the 2009 Ford F-150 will debut. After all, the best-selling vehicle in the world needs the world's biggest automotive stage to make an entrance. Click on the Read link to view all 10 spy shots that were snapped.

[Source: The Car Connection]