According to Winding Road's report, Ford is testing the next-generation of the Ford F-150, due to become 2009 models .
KGP has caught these early barebones vehicles running about the streets and they suspect that there a few of them (a dozen? Two dozen? A whole fleet and some real lucky drivers?) scorching the road.
According to KGP, The first prototypes for Ford’s next-generation Ford F-150 have now hit the test circuit in force, with at least two dozen mules now in existence. Initially, every prototype that we saw testing used body panels from the existing F-series, but their odd fits, skewed proportions, and jutting front bumpers give the game away that something new is in the works. But now a new prototype has broken cover, featuring heavy camouflage covering everything in front of the A-pillars. The disguise is extreme, but a new grille design can be made out behind the white mesh covering the nose, featuring three thick horizontal chrome bars. The new grille appears to be a significant departure from current F-150 styling.
Aside from the new grille design, the new prototypes don’t give up many secrets, but there are some interesting details that surface upon closer examination. First of all, the mules have appeared in three distinct body styles: the familiar Regular Cab and Super Cab versions, and a new non-extended cab configuration that resembles nothing in the current F-150 line-up. It’s difficult to discern what this new small cab packaging represents, given its obvious functionality shortcomings.
One prototype featured the Regular Cab cockpit and a long-bed design, and a close-up look revealed a 7-lug wheel, eclipsing the 6-lug pattern on every other prototype spotted so far. It could be Ford simply experimenting with various set-ups, but it could also signal a beefed-up F-150 model that will fall between the standard F-150 and the Super Duty. Pure speculation at this point.
We managed to get a look inside one of the mules. The standard gage package has been cut out, and in its place resides the instrumentation from the Super Duty. As expected, at this early point the rest of the interior consists of a chopped-up version of the current F-150’s dashboard. We’ll likely have to wait until Ford moves beyond these mules, and into full-fledged confirmation prototypes for a true look at the next-gen truck’s interior.
These new prototypes represent the first stages of Ford’s answer to the all-new Toyota Tundra, and the equally fresh Silverado and Sierra pickups from General Motors. The timing suggests that the current F-150 will have to suffice against the new competition for at least two years, which doesn’t sound promising in the current market.