It appears Ford->ke31 is taking extra measures to ensure its new 2015 F-150 will withstand the test of time and unfavorable weather conditions, including harsh sunlight. The automaker has announced its practices for testing both interior and exterior parts, and it’s rather interesting.

A majority of testing took place at Ford’s own Central Lab, where individual parts were subjected to a Thermatron. Like a scene from an old Sci-Fi film, the Thermatron blasts the parts with UV rays over an extended timeframe, simulating five years of sun exposure in a fraction of the time.

Ford is paying a lot of attention to the F-150’s interior in terms of its anti-glare properties. Washed out gauges, infotainment screen, and reflective materials on the dash have all been eliminated – preventing the driver from getting shot in the eye with a beam of sun reflecting off a chrome trim piece.

Special attention is also being paid to the exterior badges. A quick look at any mid- to late-2000s F-Series->ke1913 truck will reveal Ford had serious issues with its badges fading. Ford says it tested all its exterior badges under some 3,000 hours of sun-like conditions, along with temperatures as cold as -40 degrees Celsius followed by a steam bath of 100 degrees Celsius. That’s serious stuff.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Ford F-150.

Why it Matters

Automakers are making vehicles that last longer than ever these days, but a vehicle will lose its value more quickly if it loses its visual appeal. The ability to keep parts looking new is extremely valuable for resale. Consider how much more valuable some of those 1980s and 90s cars with faded, cracked dashboards and peeling trim pieces would be if those parts still looked new. Thankfully Ford isn’t the only automaker to be testing its products in this manner, so we can look forward to a crop of good-looking used cars from here on out.

2015 Ford F-150

The F-150 is about as iconic as it gets for an American automaker. The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for a number of decades and it doesn’t look like Ford intends to slow down. Its all-new 2015 F-150 gets an industry-first (for such a mass-scale vehicle) aluminum body, an all-new 2.7-liter, EcoBoost V-6, and new looks inside and out.

The new 2.7-liter EcoBoost will make 325 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque and will feature a segment-exclusive Auto Start-Stop system that allows the engine to shut off when not moving. The system won’t operate when in four-wheel-drive or tow/haul mode, so it will still act like a truck in those cases. Also returning are the 3.5-liter V-6, the 5.0-liter V-8, and the 3.5-liter, EcoBoost V-6. The 6.2-liter V-8 has been dropped for 2015.

Pricing for the 2015 F-150 starts at $26,615 and rises past $52,000 for the top trim level. Expect to pay more with options added.