The wait is finally over. This is arguably the biggest debut of the year. With the current-gen in the loop for almost five years, Ford has decided to bring in the fourteenth generation of the world’s best-selling pickup truck, the F-150.

The reveal is even more important because the rivals are catching up in terms of sales and Ford might risk losing the crown of being the best-seller which it’s been holding for over four decades now. Unlike the structural changes that were introduced in the last generation change, this time, Ford has doubled down on technology and a lot of new tech features are now available on the truck.

From the initial impressions, does the 2021 Ford F-150 feel better than the model it replaces? It certainly does.

What’s New On The Outside Of The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford unveiled the all-new F-150 during an event hosted by Denis Leary, in a no non-sense live stream. The new F-150 will continue to offer six trims. The automaker said that every single body panel on the truck is new. It continues to feature the aluminum alloy body based on a steel frame.

Most of us were expecting a new grille on every trim, but Ford has taken this up a notch. The truck features 11 new grille designs! These grilles are said to incorporate active shutters that close at higher speeds. An automatic air dam is also present - it lowers at 40 mph for better aerodynamics and retracts at lower speeds to counter beaten paths and speed breakers.

The side profile is generally overlooked when it comes to aesthetics, but Ford has worked on it. The beltline is more pronounced and the truck features larger wheel arches. The company will be offering 13 new wheel designs and bigger wheels up to 22-inches for you to choose from. That’s absolutely nuts!

The rear doesn’t show a lot of difference. At a time when multipurpose tailgates are becoming more and more popular, Ford still refuses to develop one. The F-150 will continue to offer a simple power tailgate. There’s no Ram-like MultiFunction Tailgate here. The GMC Sierra 1500 offers a MultiPro tailgate and the Silverado 1500 will also offer it soon. This is going to hurt Ford when multipurpose tailgates become mainstream in a couple of years.

However, Ford has tweaked the tailgate a bit to offer more versatility. Called the Tailgate Work Surface, it is essentially a work station on the tailgate that can be used for a whole lot of things. It integrates a ruler, clamp mounts, tie-down rings that double as bottle openers, and a tablet holder. As for the dimensions, the 2021 F-150 is 0.2 inches shorter in length, but the wheelbase is 0.4 inches longer.

2021 Ford F-150 Two-wheel-drive Crew Cab exterior dimensions

What's New On The Inside?

Ford has redesigned the cabin as well. There was no mention of the space and other dimensions, but we expect these to remain the same. The company has equipped a lockable storage space under the seats in the rear.

The new F-150 will also come with Max Recline Seats that bend over almost 180 degrees. It doesn’t look like a standard feature, but I firmly believe it should. Ford said the XLT – second from bottom – is the most popular trim. People using it as a work truck will need it the most and they generally opt for lower trims.

The highlight of the cabin is the new ‘Interior Work Surface’. The gear lever folds down here and provides a flat surface for you to use. Ford said that one-third of the owners use their laptop in the truck but there was no usable, convenient surface to date. This will be an immensely useful feature in long-term ownership. Kudos to Ford for coming up with this idea.

2021 Ford F-150 interior dimensions (inches)

2021 Ford F-150 cargo capacities (inches, unless otherwise noted)

What Are The New Tech Features?

The automaker has made huge strides in the tech department this time around.

The other trims will come equipped with an eight-inch touchscreen, which is a big improvement over the 4.2-inch screen from the current F-150. All trims will come with SYNC 4 as standard. This includes:

-* Latest maps

-* Real-time traffic updates

-* Hands-free voice control

-* Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Not a lot of details were revealed about it, but Ford had recently said that even the Mach-E electric SUV will receive it. Based on the Mach-E’s information, this system will drive the vehicle on its own as long as you’re vigilant and ready to take control back from it anytime. There will be a camera monitoring your actions, and if the system finds that you’re not paying attention, it will warn you a few times. If you don’t respond, the car will slow down and stop in its lane.

Over-the-air updates are something new and will be very similar to what Tesla does. This will be used for map updates, feature upgrades, and software updates, amongst other things. The new F-150 will also come with other features, such as:

-* Pro-trailer backup assist

-* Trailer Reverse Guidance that’s trickled down from the Super Duty series

-* Ford Pass Connect embedded 4G LTE Modem that provides Wi-FI access up to 10 devices

-* Complimentary Ford Pass

-* Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything

-* Massive panoramic moonroof

-* 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen Unleashed audio system

Most Of The Engines Are Carried Over

Even this time around, the F-150 will come with six engine options to choose from. Five engines are carried over from the previous generation – four gasoline and one diesel – whereas a new hybrid system is included in the lineup. More on the hybrid mill later.

There’s no word on which iteration of the 3.5-liter is being retained. The six-speed transmission is being dropped and all the engines will be mated to the 10-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Also, the power outputs of some mills are said to be changed, but there’s no data on this yet. In the 2020 models, this is how the engines line up:

2021 Ford F-150 specifications

A New Hybrid Powertrain Joins The Mix

This new hybrid is a 3.5-liter, Powerboost mill that is said to have the ‘best-in-class power and torque’. It doesn’t make sense because it’s the only hybrid mill in the pickup truck segment. Ram’s eTorque mild hybrid system doesn’t count here because it just adds more torque and cranks the engine in a start/stop event.

Anyway, this system includes a 37-kilowatt electric motor (47 horsepower) in the transmission housing. It is powered by a liquid-cooled, 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

No, this isn’t a plug-in system and the batteries recuperate on the go. We are yet to receive the full specs of this engine, but it will have a towing capacity of more than 12,000 pounds. This mill will have an EPA estimated range of approximately 700 miles on a 30.6-gallon tank of gas.

As for the electric truck, it is still two years away and the details will be revealed in the future. There were some wild speculations about independent rear suspension on the F-150, but that could be offered on the electric model.

The 2021 F-150 Will Come With An Onboard Generator

A 7.2-kW Power Pro onboard generator will also be offered here. It can be used to charge your tools, computers, and can power stuff like a 12-inch miter saw, a circular saw, a hammer drill, a half-horsepower air compressor, floodlights, and a gang battery charger, all at the same time. A series of ports are included – 120-volt, 20-amp outlets, with a single 240-volt, and a 30-amp outlet. A 2.0 kW Pro power onboard generator will be available on the other engines. This is good enough to run an electric heater, a TV, a mini-fridge, a blender, and portable speakers.

How Much Can The 2021 F-150 Tow?

Coming to the towing and payload, Ford said that it will be class-leading. Again, Ford hasn’t provided the exact figures yet. This is how the big guns are rated in towing and payload department:

How Much Will It Cost?

The pricing is not revealed yet, but you can expect a marginal increase in all the trims. This is how the 2020 models were priced:

2020 Ford F-150 prices

Final Thoughts

Ford needed to get this right because the F-150 is a brand in itself. If we talk in pure numbers and comparisons, the F-Series raked in $42 billion for Ford in revenue last year. This means the F-150 alone could be in the Fortune 500 list. The company managed to move almost 900,000 trucks in 2019. For the 2021 model, Ford has added a whole lot of new features while retaining its core essence.

The biggest miss that’s going to sting Ford in the coming years is a non-multipurpose tailgate. Ram already has the MultiFunction tailgate and the Silverado will be getting it very soon, too. Something like a cargo bed storage space and toolbox like the RamBox Cargo Management System would’ve been a nice addition as well.

We’re curious to hear the exact specs of the hybrid powertrain since Ford claims max horsepower and torque figures for it. Also, there was no mention of the Raptor. Is Ford waiting for Ram to launch the Rebel TRX and then take a call? Perhaps.

What are your thoughts on the 2021 Ford F-150? Let us know in the comments section below.