AURORA | The coincidence is too big to ignore.
Atlas, the Greek titan, was tasked with holding the blue sky on his shoulders. Atlas, the Ford concept truck — almost certainly a precursor to the next generation F-150 — may be tasked with keeping the blue oval company afloat and profitable into the next decade.
he name is no coincidence, but I wonder if the whole “blue oval” thing was, too.
The Ford Atlas Concept, unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, is a glimpse into the future of America’s best-selling vehicle. The launch — and subsequent buzz — surrounding the truck’s debut was somewhat surprising, considering the initial excitement of that show was tied to the launch of the new Chevrolet Corvette, and not the pickup. While early returns from the press and the public show the Corvette didn’t disappoint, the staying power of the Ford concept has been a pleasant surprise for the Dearborn, Mich.-based
company.
“It has surpassed our wildest expectations,” said Doug Scott, head of truck marketing for Ford. “We think it caught people off-guard.”
While the Atlas bears many marks common to concept cars that never see the light of production — active wheel shutters; a flashy, enormous chrome grille; mechanical sliding cargo racks; lights everywhere; and a not-practical-at-all interior — the regular F-series hallmarks are all there on the concept. The bend in the front window, the body panels down the sides and the fact that it’s a pickup with the blue oval affixed to the front mean that some of the features on the Atlas today may see an assembly line in the future.
While particulars on the Atlas are hazy, and Scott is quick to point out that the concept was built to make sense to consumers today, a few details about the next-generation Atlas emerged and could point to future F-series features.
First, a “next-generation EcoBoost” engine powers the Atlas, although the details about displacement or numbers of cylinders were not released. (It’s possible a three-cylinder turbocharged engine that runs on ketchup makes an appearance, but not likely, I suppose. I also didn’t ask, so here’s hoping.)
“We’ve placed a big bet on EcoBoost and we think that’s our road to success in the future,” Scott said. Currently, EcoBoost engines account for 42 percent of the F-150’s sales.
Second, the next-generation F-series pickups will almost certainly use more aluminum in construction than they currently do.
“We’ve not made any statements about how much (aluminum) is in the Atlas,” Scott said. “We said that we have an aluminum hood and lower control arms — which we use in current vehicles — but we’re not ready to make any material declarations right now.”
Despite those qualifications — nay almost abject denials — Scott said the Atlas will keep true to the promise made in 2007 that future Ford vehicles will shed from 250 lbs. to 750 lbs. by using lighter-weight materials in construction. Since its unmasking only a few weeks ago, several F-series message boards have been inundated with posts that aluminum, or other materials other than galvanized nails and rebar, would make the truck “weaker.”
Au contraire, Ford frères.
“In the case of trucks, as you take weight out (of its construction) you improve payload capacity,” Scott said. “We’ve always seen our trucks as tools. We’re about making the tool more efficient. Customers want the tool to do more, with less.”
And last, it’s almost certain that new Ford trucks will cut down drag to increase fuel efficiency. Trucks move mountains of air to simply barrel down a driveway, which is highly inefficient.
The Atlas uses active wheel shutters to close gaps in the wheel at highway speeds to reduce drag, a mechanized front dam to optimize airflow under the truck and a raked front windshield (although no details about the degree of the windshield’s angle were made available) so it’s clear the Atlas would fare better in a wind tunnel than the current models.
Curiously, engineers were specific about the transmission in the Atlas. It’s a six-speed, an uncommonly specific number in an otherwise highly unspecific release, which Scott said was a matter of practicality rather than a final detail.
“We weren’t out to make any specific reference, we’re not making any declaration about our future plans or where we might go,” he said. “That is open for debate. We tried to define the Atlas in today’s terms.”
(Ram offers its full-size with an eight-speed transmission for fuel economy, however Chevrolet announced its 2014 Silverado would use a standard six-speed for now.)
The stakes for Ford and its full-size pickups couldn’t be higher too.
Last month, Ford F-series pickup sales led the country in auto sales, with 46,841 vehicles sold according to data collected by the Wall Street Journal and motorintelligence.com. That mark was a 21.7 percent increase over January 2012’s figures and accounted for nearly one-third of overall pickup sales in America.
Those kinds of sales, and the margins attached to those trucks, help keep Ford in business, so any modifications to the F-150 have to come with careful thought and study.
But what about the pie-in-the-sky ideas that seem to prevail around auto show concept queens that never see the light of day after auto show season?
The ability to hover?
“No.”
Cheeseburger dispensing machine?
Probably not.
Root beer in the water fountains during passing periods?
Scott said the feature he was most excited about was the trailer backup assist in the Atlas that helps rookies handle the rigs attached to their pickups at the turn of a knob.
“Anyone who’s tried to park a trailer can tell you, it can be tricky,” he said.
Even guiding a boat into water is tough duty for seasoned pickup vets. Atlas himself would shudder at that task.
Aaron Cole is a syndicated auto columnist. He knows he’s wrong, but he’d rather hear it from you. Reach him at aaron.m.cole@gmail.com or @ColeMeetsCars