General Motors is fast-tracking the development of its next-generation pickup trucks in an effort to match the low weight and fuel economy figures of Ford’s 2015 F-150, Today reports.
The next-gen full-size pickups have been pushed forward by about nine months to fall 2018, with the next-gen full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon following about a year later. Much like Ford’s aluminium bodied F-150, GM will mostly focus on lightening the new platform, which is being referred to internally as T1XX.
The new trucks won’t arrive until four years after the 2015 F-150, which dealers began accepting orders for this week. For the time being, Ford will most likely have the upper hand when it comes to fuel economy in the full-size segment, but GM will attempt to combat this with the smaller mid-size GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado.
Ford shaved 700 lbs out of the F-150 for the 2015 model year, mostly thanks to the use of lightweight aluminum and a small, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. Today notes that some models, such as the base model for each truck, are similar in weight. A base model 2014 Silverado tips the scales at 4,392 pounds (1,992 kg), compared with the 4,497-pound (2,040-kg) total for the comparable 2015 F-150.
Ford’s truck communications manager, Mike Levine, told Today that Ford will continue to improve the truck after the 2015 model year as it looks for further fuel efficiency gains.
“It’s not like we’re sitting still after ’15,” Levine said. “We’ll continue to improve the F-150.”
Comments
Excellent job by Ford engineers!!! So far, the numbers look very promising for the new F-150. That 2.7 Ecoboost V-6 is quite impressive for what it can do with performance and towing. It’s also important to note that the new Ecoboosted Expedition is putting up some great numbers.
Ford also announced the pricing for the new F-150, which doesn’t command the steep price increase most skeptics feared. America’s pickup just got a whole lot better!!!!
Jamel is right.
Actually there was a time not so long ago when GM trucks were arguably better than Ford trucks, especially in the powertrain department. Those times are over, with the exception of the HD when fitted with the Duramax / Allison combo. Now GM is just playing catch up and seems to be content with that.
In other news, “my” 2012 Caprice V8 is throwing error codes for the tire pressure and air bag systems. Seems even Down Under, GM does business as usual.
So we are still lighter, will probably have better payload and towing b/c of that. Will have the 8-speed in the 6.2, probably comparable mileage, better warranty, lower cost of ownership, lower repair cost on the body panels b/c aluminum is expensive and hard to work with. We will cost less, I don’t see this new F-150 causing much of a distraction to GM truck owners, or other owners for that matter.
On a different note, I was talking to my best friend’s father in law who owns an eco-diesel, he said that he is getting 10.4L/100km out of it, I have customers in the the new Sierra 5.3 who are getting 10.6L-11L/100km. That great for us b/c diesel fuel is more expensive, diesels are more expensive to maintain and the initial cost is higher too. GM for the win again I would say.
Next Generation? How long did they expect the K2XX Silverado and Sierra to last?
This is a testament to how big of an impact the new F-150’s having on GM. Ford has FORCED the market to react and adjust. Which is why I praise the Ford engineers for taking the lead in the endeavor to make fuel efficient trucks. GM’s current trucks still have much potential; with the implementation of of the new 8-speed and possible revealing of a new turbocharged diesel, the appeal value will certainly rise. Nevertheless Ford’s new trucks will cement their status as America’s bestselling brand. Why? Because customers will purchase these trucks knowing they’re a part of history: purchasing the first all-alluminum, massed produced pickup! Soon, virtually EVERY car will employ an all aluminum body, and Ford is among the first to lead the industry.
Follow the leader… Ford…!!!
The hot new 2.7 EcoBoost with 375 ft lbs of torque BEAT the GM 5.3 V8 in a 7000 towing challenge up 6% grade at Davis Dam AZ…!!!
Plus it was just priced at Only $495 upgrade from the base v6 in be 2015 F150… Going to be a Very Popular truck n outsell GM n Ram… Especially the expensive n underperforming EcoDiesel…!!!
Greg, the first two times the ford won by only 6 seconds, then the third time when the temperature dropped, they admitted losing to the silvi. As Scott said in his comment on a different post, “the hare was faster, but the tortoise won the race,” don’t believe me? Here’s the link: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/22/2015-ford-f-150-specs-revealed-ecoboost/
Now granted the 2014 GM aren’t terribly innovative, here are suggestions:
1. Magnesium/ carbon fiber an area where GM has the upper hand as ford doesn’t have similar manufacturing methods. GM should be the first to introduce these little by little in their trucks so as to not produce a large price hike and to avoid upsetting customers much like ford will once the 2015 hits dealer lots
2. Electrification: the old hybrid silverado was built to fail, I know for a fact that the current ecotec3 engines paired with an electric motor will increase efficiency and help the twins out pull the competition, so why not slowly introduce hybrid power trains and market it the same way ford markets ecoboost?
3. Transmission: clutches tend to be more efficient than torque converters, why not a DSG for the trucks, or a single clutch automated manual? I’m sure I’ve heard of a company or two that makes these
First off do not be fooled by Ford slight of hand.
Ford is 700 pounds lighter than the present Ford model that is already 350 pounds heavier than the GM trucks.
The Turbo V6 is only 1 MPG better than the V8 and has a little more torque but at a $120 premium.
As for price use care in studying how Ford is pricing their products. The added cost will be in on some models and not on others. They also have a big enough margin to eat the increase for a while then raise the prices up sometime after intro. Chevy did the same thing on the C7 too once the press conferences were over.
What Ford has done is won the marketing war here as they have made people think they reinvented the truck and cured cancer in all one swoop. The truth is they were fixing their already well over weight trucks with a major move to aluminum first. And they have proven that people will pay more for a turbo V6 because it is exciting in a market segment with little excitement.
The Ford will be a good truck and a media darling for a while but GM and Ram will both so similar moves and even surpass the Ford in their next turns. This is just a pissing match in a segment that ten years from now will see massive changes.
Mass is the key word on trucks and we will see a lot of massive weight loss with all trucks. The key will be who can cut the weight the cheapest and keep the profit margins up. It is easy to do what Ford did but in the end how much profit are they eating to cover some of the cost and how long will they continue to eat it. They did not just find some cheap way to make aluminum so the cost had to go somewhere.
I have no issue with GM doing similar as they were going to have to so it at some point anyways. They knew it but were trying to hold off.
The greatest thing GM needs to do is generate some excitement about their trucks. They have a great truck just little excitement. Years ago a truck was a truck now today it is the face of the MFG. Where the trucks go so goes GM.
If they can generate excitement around the trucks like the C7 did for the Corvette that would be a marketing home run.
My hat is off more to Ford Marketing as they are the real winner here not so much Ford engineering.
Note too that with the brand loyalty the rankings of Ford GM and Ram will not change much no matter what they do. Ford just offers so many F series versions that GM would have a hard time catching up anyways. They have F series trucks in segments that GM dropped years ago and only are thinking about re entering today. Trucks like the F550 etc.
Good luck creating excitement around GM when their next truck is still three years away.
I did the Ford EcoBoost drive event recently and got to try the 2014 F150 3.5 EB against the GM with a 5.3.
They were both OK but the GM was smaller. On the good side for GM, the power was good and the transmission seemed to react better.
For 2015, Ford’s weight reduction plus size advantage should let it dominate the full size truck market.
I like small trucks so GM is covering a segment that Ford abandoned. I would love to see the new Ranger with the 2.7 but that doesn’t seem to be headed for the US.
The only problem for GM small trucks is if the F150 SFE model can beat them in fuel economy.
Face it, GM is playing catch up and is far behind. The 2.7 EcoBoost is going to trump the 5.3 in fuel economy while providing plenty of power for most truck buyers.
You can’t really blame GM, Ford’s aluminum leap is something only their economy of scale could allow and the 2.7 is incredibly ambitious as well.
I like GM’s direct injection update of the LS engine but that’s not enough to keep up. If there were E85 pumps everywhere and GM gave it 14:1 compression, it would be a monster but we aren’t ready for that.
GM’s solution is to leapfrog ALUMA-F-150 and its ANSWER is 100 miles from it’s Silao, Mexico truck plant.
VIA Motors chairman, former GM vice president Bob Lutz says it’s EREV Silverado, Tahoe and Chevy Van
is what GM should have built instead of the Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera. VIA takes brand-new trucks from
the Silao, Mexico plant and ships them 100 miles away to their facility wherein a large lithium battery pack
is added and along with 2 electric motors, plus planetary gearset to the existing GM V-6. It’s nearly an
identical setup to the Volt’s Voltec EREV system – I wonder why GM doesn’t sue them… Yet the VIATRUX, as
VIA calls them – are currently seeing yeoman’s duty with AT&T and other fleets nationwide. At 70mpg+, the
GM fullsize trucks go 40 miles on pure electric power – switching to V-6 gas genset mode afterwards, still
producing 30+mpg. The trucks also can act as an emergency power source for your home in a power outage-
and run electric tools as an onsite power source!
Price? Oh sure – they cost $80,000 big ones because they’re manufactured in tiny quantities – if GM just
built this truck ON THE EXISTING SILVERADO/SIERRA/TAHOE/YUKON – and made 300,000+ per year , the
price to the consumer drops incredibly! It’s so much cheaper to build in those numbers. At present –
Ford sells it’s top-of-the-line King Ranch truck for $50,000+ as does GM with it’s High Country. So there
is a market for a high-zoot truck out there – and who wouldn’t want a truck that barely uses gasoline?!!!
This is the way GM could leapfrog F-150, and the R&D is already done for them – just contract with VIA
MOTORS ( or buy them out and replicate the manufacturing process ). Will GM do it? OF COURSE NOT!
They may try to buy VIA MOTORS to bury the technology. Or, they could sue VIA MOTORS for using it’s
EREV tech, but they probably will not out of respect for “Maximum” Bob Lutz – a longtime GM advocate.
GM instead is scrambling to find lightweight materials to rival Ford. It’s silly , really, how rarely GM
leads – and how oft they follow ( Camaro, anyone? ) – Volt was GM’s first leapfrog, standout product
in ages ( Corvette was and is always a niche product ) yet they priced it at $44,000 and killed it – along
with seating for 4. Volt gen2 can still rival Prius in sales if they truly make 2 versions – one short-range,
and one long-range, as rumored. 3 across seating in back with legroom is vital – along with a 3 cyl.
ALUMINUM BLOCKED range-extender in place of the caste-iron 1.4 Ecotec.
If you truly are a GM fan – send this suggestion to GM. The answer is right under their noses.