.

.January 08, 2004
.
This Week:

• GM to Produce Pontiac Solstice at Wilmington, Delaware Assembly Plant

• Lexus HPX Concept Car on Display at North American International Auto Show

• Mazda MX-Micro Sport Concept Premiers At The Detroit Auto Show

• New 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible Brings the Top Down at the 2004 North American International Auto Show

• BMW Group Sales For 2003 Topple All Previous Records

• Infiniti Adds to Its All-Wheel Drive Lineup With Full-Size QX56 Luxury SUV and G35 Sedan AWD

• All-New Ford F-150 Named 2004 North American Truck Of The Year

• Luxury and comfort of the highest calibre: 12-cylinder Audi A8 L

• Nissan Debuts All-New 2005 Frontier Pickup, Pathfinder SUV and Nissan Actic Concept at NAIAS

• DaimlerChrysler Sells 3.82 Million Passenger Vehicles Worldwide in 2003

© 1998 - 2004 Copyright & 
Disclaimer
Automotive Intelligence,
www.autointell.com
All Rights Reserved .
For questions please contact
editor@autointell.com  

.
All-New Ford F-150 Named 2004 North American Truck Of The Year

Photo: Ford
 

All-new F-150 adds 2004 "North American Truck of the Year" to its growing list of awards and accolades. Ford expands F-150 lineup to include 2005 Ford King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew, available Fall 2004. F-150 recently became the first, and only, pickup truck to receive a "best pick" in frontal offset crash testing performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Strong sales momentum continues, with double-digit F-Series sales increases every month since the new F-150 went on sale. DEARBORN, Mich. - From phenomenal sales numbers to numerous awards -including its most recent honor of being named "North American Truck of the Year" - the all-new 2004 Ford F-150 continues to raise the standard for full-size pickups.

F-150 received the 2004 North American Truck of the Year award this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The award is selected by a panel of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

"Make no mistake about it, the F-150 is the best truck anywhere," said Steve Lyons, Ford Division president. "Being selected 'Truck of the Year' by this group is quite an accomplishment for America's best-selling vehicle. We're proud to add this distinction to our growing list of awards."

The North American Truck of the Year award is designed to recognize the most outstanding truck of the year based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. To be eligible, vehicles must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. The 2004 F-150 received top honors among thirteen eligible trucks.

2005 Ford King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew

Fresh off the heels of receiving the Truck of the Year award, Ford announced plans to expand its already successful and distinctive F-150 lineup with the addition of the 2005 Ford King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew.

"The King Ranch is to America's ranching industry and the western lifestyle what Ford is to pickup buyers," said Lyons. "It is the perfect name to link with our new F-150 pickup."

King Ranch in South Texas is one of the world's largest working ranches - with more than 800,000 acres, it is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.

The 2005 Ford King Ranch F-150 offers a unique combination of toughness and luxury. Featuring exclusive interior and exterior content highlighted by premium Castaño leather trim and unique 18-inch aluminum wheels, the 2005 King Ranch F-150 takes the many best-in-class capabilities and feature advancements of the new F-150 and adds its own distinctive flair.

Available Fall 2004, the 2005 King Ranch F-150 will be offered exclusively in SuperCrew configurations with a 5.5-foot box and will be powered by the 5.4-liter three-valve Triton™ V-8 engine. Featuring a standard flow-through center console with floor-mounted shifter, the truck will be available in both 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains. Additional product details will be available later in the year.

Best Truck, Best Launch Ever

With more than 20 best-in-class capabilities and class-exclusive features, the all-new F-150 sets a new standard for full-size pickups. The F-150 takes toughness to new levels, pours on the power, delivers unparalleled driving dynamics and adds unsurpassed interior comfort, convenience and craftsmanship.

Traffic generated by the new F-150 helped Ford set an all-time F-Series September sales record in the truck's debut month, and drove double-digit F-Series sales increases every month since the truck went on sale.

In December, the F-150 became the first, and only, pickup truck to receive a "best pick" in frontal offset crash testing performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The all-new 2004 Ford F-150 received a "good" ranking and was named a "best pick" - the institute's highest possible rating.

The 2004 F-150 has received a number of other accolades as well, including the coveted Motor Trend "Truck of the Year" award. A complete of list of F-150 awards and accomplishments is attached.

"The new F-150 got off to a great start in 2003, and it is only going to keep getting better from here," Lyons said.

Ford Truck Leadership

For more than 55 years, F-Series has delivered on its Built Ford Tough heritage. Nearly 29 million F-Series trucks have been sold to date, making it the most successful vehicle nameplate in the world. F-Series has been America's best-selling truck for 27 years and the country's best-selling vehicle for 22 years in a row.

(Jan. 4, 2004)