What It Is: A lightly face-lifted 2013 Ford F-150 caught while testing. The current F-150 generation was introduced for 2009, and although it has received a few powertrain updates along the way, 2013 brings the first major cosmetic changes.
Why It Matters: Ford’s F-series is consistently one of the top-selling nameplates in the U.S., so keeping it fresh is critical. Even more important, the F-150 soon will face renewed competition from the updated 2013 Ram 1500 and impending 2014 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra twins.
Platform: The current F-150’s chassis and sheetmetal won’t change much. The key changes visible on this test truck include a new three-bar grille, projector headlights like those on the 2013 Flex crossover, and a revised hood.
Powertrain: The F-150’s powertrain lineup was massively updated in the recent past, so the 2012 model’s 3.7-liter V-6, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, 5.0-liter V-8, and 6.2-liter V-8 engines all should be available in various 2013 models. The same goes for the outgoing truck’s six-speed automatic transmission and choice of rear- or four-wheel drive.
Competition: Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra.
Estimated Arrival Time and Price: The updated F-150 should debut sometime before the end of the year, likely by the 2012 Los Angeles auto show in the fall. Given the apparent mildness of this refresh, we suspect pricing won’t move far from where it is now. The 2012 F-150 with the base 3.7-liter V-6 and rear-wheel drive starts at $24,295; the top-rung, four-wheel-drive, four-door SuperCrew Harley Davidson edition is priced from $53,225.Thanks to: Car and Driver
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