2024 Ford F-150 update brings new swing-up tailgate, cheaper hybrid and more
The F-150 is Ford’s undisputed best-selling vehicle, which makes any refresh, even a mid-cycle refresh, a matter of great importance. In fact, for the 2024 model year, the automaker has implemented substantial tweaks to the truck’s options, given it a new look, and introduced a new swinging tailgate.
Design modifications
Let’s begin our exploration of the 2024 F-150 with its design. According to the Blue Oval, they have updated the front end to give it a “modern and sophisticated look.” This includes the incorporation of new daytime running lights (DRLs) and greater emphasis on styling packages. For example, a Black Appearance Package will be available for models ranging from STX to Lariat. Additionally, the Platinum Series will come standard with black interior and exterior accents straight from the factory.
Back door trick
Meanwhile, at the back, the changes are more than just the skin. Ford enters the backdoor wars on a new front. The Pro Access Tailgate gives owners a new way to enter their bed through a hatch that can be opened to form a new door.
The end position is designed with 100-degree, 70-degree, and 37-degree angles, and is intended to allow owners easy access to their beds even when the trailer is attached to their truck, which may explain why the tailgate has an opening and doesn’t open all the way across.
More: The 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor gets a powerful update, new technologies and more off-road hardware
Furthermore, trucks equipped with the Pro Access tailgate will also get a wider bumper to act as a more stable step into the bed. Even without reaching all the way, Ford suggests that not having to reach the folded tailgate allows owners to reach farther into the bed more easily.
Aside from the funky new tailgate, the bed also has a fairly low-tech, but highly usable feature. A locking box behind the passenger-side wheel is standard on the 2024 F-150, and gives owners a secure place to store small items like tools and flashlights. Owners who don’t select the Pro Power Onboard option will get a 5.5-foot and 6.5-foot bedside box as standard.
Read: 2022 Chevrolet Silverado HD gets a new multi-use tailgate with six functions
These new additions to the bed are also intended to work with Ford’s advanced driver assistance features, such as Pro Trailer Backup Assist and Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. The latter uses the backup camera and angle radars to align the F-150’s hitch with the trailer’s coupler. Using this feature, the truck controls steering, speed and braking, and is designed to stop when the hitch is in perfect alignment.
2024 Ford F-150 XLT
Once your trailer is hitched, Pro Trailer Backup Assist allows the driver to back up more easily, using just a handle next to the infotainment system. This also controls the wheel, meaning the driver just has to point the handle in the direction he wants to go, and the truck will move on its own.
Additionally, the smart hitch can measure trailer weight to help drivers properly organize their load to reduce trailer sway and accurately measure how much load they can carry. For 2024, the F-150 will have a maximum towing capacity of 13,500 pounds (6,123 kg) and a maximum payload of 2,455 pounds (1,113 kg).
Providing power for all that towing and hauling is a familiar lineup of engines, including a 5.0-liter V8, a 3.5-liter V6, and the standard 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, which delivers more power and torque than in 2023, though Despite that. Ford has not yet said how much.
2024 Ford F-150 STX
Ford plans to make the 3.5-liter PowerBoost Hybrid start at the same price as the same truck when only equipped with the same ICE. Available in XLT through Platinum Plus trim, Ford wants to double the number of F-150 hybrids it sells with the updated model.
Inside, Ford said it will make the 12-inch touchscreen standard on all F-150s now, and it will be the first vehicle in North America to have Ford’s stolen vehicle services. These, as the name suggests, can help authorities locate a vehicle after it is stolen. Also for the first time, the F-150 will offer a head-up display with dedicated displays for BlueCruise, Tow/Haul, and Off-Road driving modes.
Finally, the 2024 Ford F-150 will come with BlueCruise 1.2, an updated version of the Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance package. With new capabilities like lane change assist and in-lane repositioning, the software will be free to try for 90 days, and will be usable. After that, via a monthly or annual subscription.
Ford says all of these new standard features have helped it reduce ordering complexity by 90 percent, which should make it easier to order the truck when it goes on sale in early 2024. Pricing will be revealed at a later date.
