New 2009 FORD F-150 hauls away accolades

DEARBORN, Mich.– The new 2009 Ford F-150, which already delivers unmatched capability and unsurpassed fuel economy, is now quickly piling up awards and honors from many of the auto industry’s top organizations and publications – including the Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year.

F-Series also is on track in 2008 to extend its streak of truck leadership to 32 straight years as well as being America’s best-selling vehicle – car, crossover; SUV, truck, or van – for the past 27 years.

In the past five years, the “core trucker” – those who use their truck’s towing and hauling capability for work and leisure – has grown to 40 percent from 30 percent of the light-duty full size pickup market. And Ford dominates this expanding sub segment.

The new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

F-150 has improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150’s SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The new 2009 F-150 is built at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant.

Awards and accolades for all-new 2009 Ford F-150 include:

* Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
* Detroit News Truck of the Year
* Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
* 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
* Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
* “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
* “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
* “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
* “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
* Motor Trend’s Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
* “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA