Ford F-150 SVT Raptor named 2010 Truck of Texas

It's no secret that the Texas Auto Writer's Association loves Ford trucks: The Blue Oval's F-Series pickups have won the Truck of Texas award six straight times. Actually, you can make that seven straight times now, with the F-150 SVT Raptor taking the top honor this year in the Lone Star State.

We didn't go through the precise reasoning of the F-150's dominance in previous years, but the arrival of the Raptor probably made the choice just too easy this time around. After having driven the Raptor ourselves we knew that there is simply nothing like it, and nothing anywhere near as good as it is, to be found in the OEM pickup truck world. When you throw in the purchase price of $39K for the 5.4-liter, you're going to look hard to find a similarly priced competitor in the OEM or aftermarket. The press is after the jump, and to Ford, congratulations are well deserved.

UPDATE: Turns out that the F-150 was actually named this year's Truck of Texas, not the SVT Raptor model specifically. The Raptor was, however, named best "Full-size Pickup Truck". You can check out the corrected press release that Ford just sent out after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE

POWERED BY SVT RAPTOR, FORD F-150 NAMED 2009 'TRUCK OF TEXAS;' FORD WORKS WINS 'OUTSTANDING FEATURE'

• 2010 Ford F-150, powered by SVT Raptor, captures the "2009 Truck of Texas" title, named by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), the seventh consecutive award for Ford
• Ford Work Solutions productivity technology, developed for commercial fleet customers, named "Outstanding Feature"
• Ford truck lineup also wins "Truck Line of Texas," recognizing its capability, durability

DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2009 – The 2010 Ford F-150, powered by the all-new SVT Raptor, was named 2009 "Truck of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), the seventh consecutive time a Ford F-Series truck has won the award. Additionally, F-150 SVT Raptor was named best "Full-size Pickup Truck."

"Winning the Truck of Texas is a distinct honor," said Mark Fields, president, The Americas, Ford Motor Company. "Texans know their trucks, and this award is further proof of why the F-Series remains America's number-one selling pickup. We built F-150 SVT Raptor for truck enthusiasts. And we're gratified it's gaining recognition for both its unequaled off-road performance and confidence-inspiring on-road demeanor."

Ford trucks also took the "Truck Line of Texas," a distinguished honor recognizing the best-in-class capability and durability of Ford's lineup.

Another top honor, "Outstanding Feature," went to Ford Work Solutions, a suite of productivity technologies developed for the commercial truck owner. The system includes an in-dash computer that connects with the home office; Tool Link that keeps track of costly tools and equipment; Cable Lock, which locks up tools in the open truck box; and Crew Chief, a telematics system, giving the fleet manager more control of his/her fleet of vehicles.

Ford F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

With the launch of the all-new 2009 model, the truck improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150's SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

This summer, Ford introduced the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, designed as a purpose-built, high-speed off-road truck ready for adventure. Raptor also is versatile enough to handle the daily commute. To test the capability and durability of Raptor, Ford took a modified pre-production Raptor to the grueling 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 this past November. The early-build Raptor not only survived Baja, it earned a podium finish in its class.

Key enablers to the Raptor's impressive performance are functional design cues and impressive suspension technology. The Raptor is seven inches wider than a base F-150 to make room for the additional suspension components that give Raptor its off-road abilities. The wider stance also gives the truck an aggressive appearance.

Internal triple-bypass shocks by FOX Racing Shox – the first on a production truck – provide position-sensitive damping and extra suspension travel for extreme off-roading and a smooth ride on the road. In addition to the shocks, Raptor has unique cast-aluminum front control arms and SVT-tuned 35-inch BFGoodrich® All-Terrain TA/KO 315/70-17 tires. These components give Raptor 11.2 inches of front suspension travel and 12.1 inches of rear suspension travel.

The F-150 SVT Raptor comes standard with the proven 5.4-liter SOHC V-8 engine that produces up to 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. In early 2010 customers will have the option of an even more powerful new 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

Customer anticipation has been extremely high, with 3,000 orders already received for the 5.4-liter F-150 SVT Raptor. In fact, initial dealer orders have the Dearborn Truck Plant building Raptors at maximum capacity, reflecting the strong demand for the first-ever factory high-speed off-road truck.

Starting price for the F-150 SVT Raptor is $38,995 including destination and delivery charges.

In total, Ford won eight of 18 awards, including Lincoln MKX as "Mid-size CUV," Ford Flex as "Full-size CUV," and Ford F-150 King Ranch as "Luxury Pick-up Truck," and Ford Expedition as "Full-size SUV."