F150 Named Motor Trend's 2009 Truck of the Year

Today, America’s best-selling pickup adds one of the industry’s most prestigious honors to its trophy shelf: Motor Trend has named the new Ford F-150 its 2009 Truck of the Year.

To earn this coveted award, the 2009 F-150 outperformed other full-size pickups in rigorous tests that evaluated engineering, technology, design, safety, dynamics, performance, build quality and value. Motor Trend’s editors put each truck through the same kind of punishing treatment that core truck customers do – and the 2009 F-150 showed them why it has no rival.

This morning, with employees and the media looking on, Motor Trend’s editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie presented the magazine’s signature caliper trophy to the Built Ford Tough F-150 truck team during a ceremony held at WHQ. He noted that the new F-150 “improves on the core attributes that have made the F-150 a best seller for decades, ensuring it will remain a strong player in the segment despite the challenging economic environment.”

Motor Trend has now awarded the F-150 its Truck of the Year honor for each of the past three major redesigns – including the 2004 and 1997 models. This recognition and other accolades we’ve received from various publications validate our approach of listening to what core truck customers want, anticipating their needs and exceeding their expectations.

With the launch now well under way, I encourage you to tell your friends and neighbors about some of the reasons why the 2009 F-150 has no competition:

Unrivaled Capability: Best-in-class towing (11,300 lbs.), hauling capacity of 3,030 lbs. and more standard safety equipment than any other half-ton pickup on the market, at a real value.

Unsurpassed Fuel Economy: The 2009 F-150 has a fleet-wide fuel economy improvement of 8 percent versus the 2008 model; fuel economy improves by as much as 12 percent for trucks equipped with the 5.4-liter V-8 engine. A new superior fuel economy package – SFE, available on our highest-volume F-150 XL and XLT models – delivers an unmatched combination: unsurpassed 15 mpg in the city/21 mpg on the highway while still offering 7,500 lbs. of towing capacity.

More Choice: With three cab styles, four box options and seven unique trim levels, the F-150 meets the widest range of customer needs and wants. It’s powered by one of three V-8 engines, mated to either a four-speed or a new fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission.

Smart Features: F-150’s industry-exclusive smart features and class-leading technology help make truck owners more productive and driving, towing and hauling easier and safer. Cutting-edge connectivity technologies include Ford SYNC, SIRIUS Travel Link, voice-activated navigation and Sony audio. Through Ford Work Solutions, customers will have the connectivity, flexibility and security to better run key aspects of their business from their Ford truck – even on the job site. We’ve also made the F-150’s pickup box easier to use, more flexible and accessible.
Quality and Durability Legacy: There are more F-Series trucks with 250,000 miles or more on the road today than any other trucks. No company has a more durable pickup than F-150 at three years in service.

As we continue to work to extend our F-Series truck leadership streak well beyond 32 years, please watch for more coverage on the 2009 F-150 – as well as our other new products – and be sure to share our good news with friends and family. Visit www.fcn.ford.com and www.thefordstory.com for more details.

Congratulations to the truck team on this outstanding accomplishment, and thanks to all of you for your continued hard work.