IMG_E3461

Whether it’s a first-drive feature from the sun-soaked California coast, a quick news story about an off-road pickup that may (or may not) be coming to your local dealership or a review of a hot new sports sedan, somewhere Lee Bailie is writing about cars and car culture, something he’s been doing for almost a decade. A car guy to the core, he went on his first automotive plant tour at age seven.

DETROIT –  The 2024 Ford F-150 gets a mid-cycle refresh that delivers a styling update, an abundance of new technology, and a reorganized powertrain lineup.

Given its decades-long status as North America’s bestselling truck lineup, and for the past 57 years in Canada, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ford chose to roll out only modest updates for the current F-Series which was all-new just two years ago.

But that’s not the case here, however, as Ford is introducing a broad array of changes for the 2024 lineup.

One of the most significant is in the engine lineup where the 3.3-litre V6 has been dropped, and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 (325 hp / 400 lb-ft.) will serve as the base engine. The 2.7 is joined by two other V6s, a 3.5-litre EcoBoost, and a 3.5-liter PowerBoost, which is the standard hybrid powerplant. With 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft., the PowerBoost V6 is the most powerful non-Raptor engine in the F-Series lineup.

Rounding out the lineup is a venerable 5.0-litre V8, along with two engines for the F-150 Raptor – a 3.5-litre High Output V6, and a 5.2-litre supercharged V8. The latter is standard for the Raptor R.

Ford had not disclosed horsepower and torque numbers for the engines beyond what is listed here. When asked by Wheels, a Ford Canada PR rep said figures for the entire engine lineup will be revealed closer to launch, which is slated for early next year.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177728" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_E3602-scaled.jpg" alt="2024 Ford F-150" width="2560" height="1440" />

Two 10-speed automatics will be offered, including a modular 10-speed for hybrid models. Maximum towing and payload ratings are 13,500, and 2,455 lbs, respectively. Both are class-leading, Ford says.

All 2024 F-150s feature a redesigned grille that now boasts standard LED headlights. A C-Clamp daytime running light signature is being introduced for Lariat to Platinum models, while grades below Lariat include a horizontal turn indicator and signature lighting.

Grilles and the materials they’re made from will vary depending on model, as will other trim details. The STX, for example, will have an edge-to-edge grille, along with Electric Lime accents throughout the vehicle. Black appearance packages will also be available for grades from STX to Lariat. Wheel options are also being expanded, to include different sizes, styles, and finishes, from blacked out to chrome.

Of note, the range-topping trim is now Platinum Plus, which replaces the Limited grade on the outgoing model.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177725" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_E3650-scaled.jpg" alt="2024 Ford F-150" width="2560" height="1440" />

In terms of tech, the 2024 F-Series is receiving loads of it. In the cabin, a 12-inch LCD touchscreen multimedia display powered by SYNC 4, and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster are now standard across the model range.

The instrument cluster has several truck-specific graphics and animations that change depending on drive mode and can also display turn-by-turn navigation and off-roading information. New for 2024 is the ability to display two views at once in Tow/Haul, Off-Road, and Rock Crawl drive modes. This feature also applies to the F-150 Raptor.

A Head-Up Display will also be available as an option, for the first time on the F-150 with specialized views for Ford BlueCruise, Tow/Haul, and Off-Road drive modes.

Another new tech feature of note is Ford Stolen Vehicle Services, which works with the FordPass smartphone app. The 2024 F-150 is the first Ford vehicle in North America to offer the service, which alerts an owner if their vehicle is being tampered with via push notification.

If the owner chooses to activate it, location data will be used to help locate and recover the truck. An owner can also contact a 24/7 Ford Stolen Vehicles call center to report their truck as stolen. At this stage local authorities will be alerted to assist in vehicle recovery, with updates being relayed to the owner.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177727" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_E3574-scaled.jpg" alt="2024 Ford F-150" width="2560" height="1440" />

BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free highway driving assist technology, is being offered as a 90-day complimentary trial, after which owners can activate a monthly or annual subscription. BlueCruise 1.2, Ford’s latest version of the software, comes with Lane Change Assist, which can perform hands-free lane changes by tapping the turn signal, and In-Lane Repositioning, which subtly adjusts the truck in its lane if other vehicles encroach.

For the gas-powered trucks, Pro Power Onboard is rated at 2.0 kilowatts, which can comfortably power a football tailgate setup, which includes a television, speaker, blender, mini fridge, and electric heater.

PowerBoost hybrid-equipped trucks are rated at 2.4 kW, which delivers up to 85 hours of runtime on a full tank of gas, which Ford says can power a drive-in movie theatre set-up.

The most powerful 7.2 kW option is available on the PowerBoost hybrid trucks, which Ford says can power a framing crew or a metal/welding shop for 32 straight hours.

Pro Trailer Backup Assist allows the camera to track the trailer’s position while the driver backs up and guides the trailer. The driver rotates a dash-mounted knob left or right while the system steers the truck.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177730" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_E3649-scaled.jpg" alt="2024 Ford F-150" width="2560" height="1440" />

Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch measures the tongue weight to help the hitching process and reduce trailer sway. The Onboard Scales help approximate payload weight in real-time, which can be viewed on the multimedia screen or via the truck’s taillight display.

A headline exterior feature for the 2024 F-150 is Pro Access Tailgate, a section in the middle of the tailgate that swings out from the driver’s side to create an opening for improved bed access. In parallel, Ford has widened the step cut-out and increased bumper depth.

The swing-out portion uses detents that keep the door in place when it is open at three intervals: 37, 70, and 100 degrees. The Pro Access Tailgate can be opened or closed with one hand, while the key fob button can open or close the entire tailgate. A retractable bumper step is also available to improve bed access.

Updated versions of the off-road F-150 Raptor and Raptor R were also revealed. Both trucks boast FOX Dual Live Valve shocks which offer standard position-sensitive compression control, and variable rebound control. The ‘24 Raptor is available with either 35 or 37-inch all-terrain tires, while the Raptor R is standard with 37-inchers. Both trucks carry new front-end styling, including a redesigned front bumper and body panel graphics. Shelter Green, an exterior colour unique to the Raptor, is also new for 2024.
<h3>2024 Ford F-150 pricing </h3>
Regular Cab

XL (4x2)                                                         $49,655
XL (4x4)                                                         $54,155

Super Cab

XL (4x2)                                                         $55,850
XL (4x4)                                                         $60,350
STX (4x2)                                                       $58,260
STX (4x4)                                                       $62,760
XLT (4x2)                                                       $60,895
XLT (4x4)                                                       $65,395

Super Crew        

XL (4x2)                                                         $59,030
XL (4x4)                                                         $62,180
STX (4x2)                                                       $61,440
STX (4x4)                                                       $64,590
XLT (4x2)                                                       $64,075
XLT (4x4)                                                       $67,225
Tremor (4x4)                                                $75,980
Lariat (4x4)                                                    $80,495
King Ranch (4x4)                                          $91,940
Platinum (4x4)                                              $100,740
Raptor (4x4)                                                  $106,500

The 2024 Ford F-150 goes on sale early next year.

2024 Ford F-150 gets new tailgate, updated engine lineup

IMG_6788

For over half a decade, Dan Heyman has written professionally about cars and car culture, specializing in luxury/performance vehicles, 4 x 4s and pickup trucks, with a micro city car or two thrown in for good measure. If he's not striking a spacebar, he's likely out photographing cars on the twists and turns of the Coast Mountain roads outside his hometown of Vancouver, BC, or cutting a line on a racetrack.

The Ford F-150 Raptor is already an F-Series in beast mode. Even when it dropped two cylinders and added two turbos for the 2017 model year, it had all the good stuff that made the Raptor what it was, just with more power and requiring less fuel.

Here’s the thing, though. When it comes to halo vehicles like a version of a vehicle that has been a top-seller – well, the top seller, really – in Canada for over 50 years, people tend to vote with their heart more than their brains. That means that even if the sixer made more power and even if it used less gas and even if they used computers to make it sound like a V8, it was never going to be quite the same. Having driven it, I tend to agree. It’s a great truck, but…there’s a reason they’ve come out with the Raptor R for 2023. It gets a V8, and not just any V8, but a supercharged 5.2-litre “Predator” V8 shared with the most powerful Ford ever to hit showrooms, the latest <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/first-drive-2020-ford-mustang-shelby-gt500">Shelby GT500 Mustang</a>.

That means – wait for it – SEVEN HUNDRED horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. That is an eye-watering number and while the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/first-drive-2021-ram-1500-trx">Ram 1500 TRX</a> makes a little more, forget about it. This thing is as crazy as a truck with 700hp should feel.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174166" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_6692.jpg" alt="Ford F-150 Raptor R" width="2000" height="1333" />

The engine has been detuned a little from the GT500 to be better equipped for more “truck” things – like being able to tow up to 8,200 lbs., for example – and the suspension has been modified to be able to accommodate the heavier engine. You do get the Fox Live Valve suspension the standard Raptor gets, though, which means your dampers are reading the ground below in milliseconds and constantly adjusting to what’s going on there. In practice, that means the Raptor R rides almost like a <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/truck-reviews/head-to-head-2022-toyota-tundra-vs-2021-ford-f-150-hybrid">standard F-150</a> on the road, but can buck up when the time comes to start smashing through sand dunes in Baja mode.

Ahh, Baja mode. What it does is allow for more power to be sent to the rear wheels as well as allow for more slip, meaning big drifts are that much easier to pull off. I wasn’t on any kind of fast off-road course but I was driving through snow and had ample opportunity to let the rear end swing out, which is a ton of fun even at slower, more controllable speeds.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174170" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_6856.jpg" alt="Ford F-150 Raptor R" width="2000" height="1333" />

Keep in mind, however, that the Raptor R might not be the first choice when it comes time to tackle slow off-roading, Rubicon Trail-style. It has the Trail Turn Assist feature that reduces your turning radius by braking the inside wheel so you can swivel ‘round like a tank, but you can’t disconnect the sway bars like you can in a Ford Bronco, for example, or even a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. No, the Raptor R is all about ludicrous speed on ludicrous roads.

Indeed, it is just so very satisfying to plant that right foot, hear the supercharger wail as it comes on boil and fling yourself down the road at a pace that can only be described as torrid. When you’re doing that kind of speed on 37-inch off-road tires (your only choice; the 35s found on the standard Raptor aren’t available here) suspended by Fox dampers in Baja drive mode with your hair on fire, there are few words.

The power is hammered to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode, and even the paddles used to operate said ‘box are special, being crafted from real magnesium and measuring six inches in length. Even their action feels like something you’d find in a low-slung sports car.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174172" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_6858.jpg" alt="Ford F-150 Raptor R" width="2000" height="1333" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174175" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_6867.jpg" alt="Ford F-150 Raptor R" width="2000" height="1333" />

It’s the same with the seats, if not the seating position; these are specialized sports seats developed in partnership with Recaro that are comfortable and supportive. Other interior bits like carbon fibre inserts, some contrast-colour stitching and a steering wheel with a red centering band all serve to drive the point home that this ain’t your carpenter’s F-150.

Thing is, depending on how moneyed they are, your carpenter could probably use it as a work truck; it has Ford’s patented bed access system, the tailgate with rulers, c-clamp spots, cupholders and iPad holders as well as bed lights and power outlets. Wild as it is, you could see it as a built-for-use pickup.

On top of all that, you also get the interior goods that make the F-150 as popular as it is. Stuff like a 12” infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay, Bang &amp; Olufsen sound, flat rear floor or the shift lever that folds away to make room for a two-foot long work surface. Not only is it powerful, but I’d argue that it’s almost as practical as any other truck in the line-up and to put a bow on all this, you can easily drive it around town at pedestrian speeds with the exhaust note turned to the “quiet” setting.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174168" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_6794.jpg" alt="Ford F-150 Raptor R" width="2000" height="1333" />

Here's the thing, though – and we’re not talking about the 20L/100 km of 91 octane it uses in the combined cycle. We’re talking about the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/why-i-love-my-vehicle-2021-ram-1500-trx-a-supertruck-summer-driver">Ram TRX</a>.

The TRX starts at around the same price the non-R Raptor does (as tested, my truck rings in at about $150,000, 50 grand more or so than the Raptor or TRX), with a V8 that has more power than the R’s does. Even that’s not really the problem, though; both of these trucks are insanely powerful. The problem is that the TRX is just more…everything. It’s louder – especially in the supercharger whine department – it’s more aggressively styled (thank you hood scoop-mounted marker lights), it adds a “jump” setting to its drive modes and has a nicer interior. In this game, words like “louder”, and “wilder” matter and the TRX hits those targets that much harder.

If you’re looking for an extreme off-road pickup that’s more a jack-of-all-trades, then the Raptor R is for you. If you’re looking for max crazy and to save a few bucks, however, the TRX has it.
<h3>2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R </h3>
BODY STYLE: four-door full-size pickup

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-wheel drive
ENGINE: 5.2-litre supercharged V8, 700 hp, 640 lb-ft of torque

FUEL ECONOMY CITY/HIGHWAY/COMBINED: 22.8/15.9/19.7 L/100 KM
TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic

BED LENGTH: 5.5 feet

TOWING CAPACITY: 3,720 kg (8,200 lbs.)

Base MSRP: TBD

WEBSITE:  <a href="https://www.ford.ca/f150-raptor-r/2023/">Ford F-150 Raptor R</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tags

2024 Ford F-150 gets new tailgate, updated engine lineup

2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Review