Ford’s all-new F-150 trucks win towing and hauling wars

Ford bagged a key bragging right in the brutally competitive world of full-size trucks, announcing Monday that its all-new F-150 has best-in-class towing and payload capabilities.

The F-Series has been the most popular vehicle in the U.S. for decades, and the upcoming 2015 model has already made waves in the industry for being the first large-scale vehicle to use an aluminum body that shaves hundreds of pounds off the truck’s weight.

“Once again, Ford F-150 establishes new standards in durability, capability, technology, and efficiency,” said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford’s Americas division.

The towing and payload crowns go to different versions of the new F-150.

The towing champion is the model at the top of the F-150 lineup, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. This turbocharged engine makes 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

When properly equipped, it can tow up to 12,200, enough for a loaded, three-horse trailer, Ford said. Its payload (the weight of what it can carry in the truck bed) is 3,180 pounds. This optional engine sits at the top of the F-150 lineup, and costs an extra $1,995.

For maximum payload, Ford’s mid-level V-8 is still the champ in the F-150 family. It can haul 3,300 pounds in the bed, thanks to its 5.0-liter engine making 385 horsepower and 387 pound-feet of torque. Maximum towing for this model is rated at 11,100 pounds.

Meanwhile, the new addition to the F-150 family -- the smaller and cheaper EcoBoost engine -- is no slouch either. The 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 makes 325 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque.

A rear-wheel-drive version of this truck can haul 2,250 pounds and tow 8,500 pounds -- which is enough capability for 90 percent of light-duty truck owners, Ford said. This engine is also optional, running an extra $495.

The base V-6 engine (without any turbocharging) makes 283 horsepower, 255 pound-feet of torque, can tow 7,600 pounds, and haul 1,910 pounds.

The win is significant for Ford as it starts marketing its all-new aluminum-intensive truck. By jumping to the top of the light-duty truck segment for towing and payload -- key numbers consumers look at and automakers battle over -- it shows that switching from a heavier steel body doesn’t hurt the truck’s capabilities or its perceived toughness.

By building the new F-150’s body out of aluminum, Ford says it has shaved nearly 700 pounds off of the curb weight of the previous generation truck. This means the new models are more efficient and better at towing and hauling.

Ford hasn’t released official fuel economy numbers yet, saying they’ll be announced close to the F-150’s on-sale date later this year. While it has said it will be the most fuel-efficient F-150 ever, it’s going to have to work hard to beat the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

Yet the switch to aluminum carries risks. The material is more difficult and more expensive to manufacture than steel, which could eat into the significant profits that the F-Series trucks reap for Ford.

Ford sees the move as a necessary one. Its F-Series trucks have been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. since 1982, and the automaker had already sold just under 500,000 trucks through the end of August, despite this being the last days for the current generation.