A new 8-inch center navigation display is an option. It's much easier to read than the previous navi screen and can display subscription-based real time traffic alerts and fuel price information from Sirius Satellite Radio, to make filling up the F-150 a bit less painful at the pump. Plus, another new infotainment box to check on the order sheet is a 700-watt Sony stereo system.

The floor console has been redesigned and now sports a slant forward ergonomic gear shifter that replaces the old 'baseball bat' lever. The console has also been lengthened by 2-inches. It's large enough to stow two or more laptop computers. Rails molded into the edges of the console bin make it easy to drop in hanging file folders. The console also has a multi-tiered, removable tray and locks to protect valuables.

There’s more storage than ever inside the F-150. More than 30 cubbys, nooks, trays, and boxes are built into the interior to accommodate tools cell phones, MP3 players, PDAs and gate access cards.

All-new seats are made with upgraded materials and expertly trimmed with fine stitching. The new seat design is more comfortable and includes power recline, power adjustable lumbar and heating and cooling functions, like the 2009 Dodge Ram.

Truck manufacturers continue to fiddle with crew cab dimensions in an effort to balance interior space with vehicle proportions and bed lengths. The new Dodge Ram has dropped the cavernous Mega Cab option for a smaller, traditional-sized crew cab. Ford moves slightly the opposite direction.

Ford has lengthened the SuperCrew four door crew cab by 6-inches and made the rear cabin load floor almost completely flat. The second row is big enough to swallow and secure a 52-inch flat screen television, when the back seats are folded up. The total cargo space behind the front seats is a class-leading 57.6 cubic feet and items up to 47.9-inches tall can be stored.

The 6-inch gain in Super Crew cab length has an interesting history and other benefits. In an effort to reduce manufacturing cost and complexity, Ford eliminated the tiny rear-opening doors on regular cab F-150s. Regular cab F-150s are once again simple two-door work trucks. But what to do with the extra space left behind from those doors? Ford made the front doors 6-inches longer. In doing so, that pushed the B-and C-pillars in the Super Crew back 6-inches. It also improves the driver’s line-of-sight looking rearward over the shoulder, because the B-pillar is no longer next to your ear.

The King Ranch interior used to be the top end of luxury in F-Series pickups but Ford has pushed the style and refinement envelope again with its Platinum package. All of the materials and electronics in the Platinum are among the best offered in any Ford car or truck. Inspiration for this new trim comes from the Super Chief concept shown at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show.

Exterior

The 2009 F-150 retains most of the major styling cues the previous truck had, but Ford has toughened up the exterior with deeper character lines and distinctive front and back-end appearances for each trim level.

“One of our strengths has always been understanding the customer and how they use their vehicle. We go all the way from the XL work truck to the new Platinum model. By getting close to the customer and listening we understand what features they’re looking for. We span the whole breadth of our customers because there are different types of owners out there – and we think we do the best job in the marketplace offering these products, from the basic all the way up to the most luxurious,” says Mr. Crowley.

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