Since the Blue Oval started to detail the all-new Ford F-150, we've learned about its trick aluminum construction, weight, efficient powerplants and prices, but now's the time to talk about features that help the pickup truck's customers drive smarter.
America's best-selling vehicle for 32 years and the best-selling truck for 37 years, the 2015 Ford F-150 is way more technologized than ever before. Slated to go on sale later this year and with first deliveries programmed for early next year, the new F-150 is laden with features that improve utility, comfort and convenience, including many driver-assist features.
Among these, 10 really stand out from the crowd:
* Curve Control - a system exclusively developed by Ford engineers that helps the F-150 maintain its composure in cases where the driver enters a turn way too quickly. Basically, Curve Control maintains control by automatically reducing the mill's torque and applying four-wheel braking. This can reduce vehicle speed by up to 10 mph in approximately 1 second, helping the truck stay on its intended path.
* Active Park Assist - this neat feature makes use of two ultrasonic sensors and Ford's electric power- assisted steering system to aid with parallel parking. Sensors measure the space between two vehicles to determine if there is enough room for the F-150. After the electronic brain of the system confirms the F-150 can fit in there, the truck automatically steers into the space, while the F-150's driver operates the accelerator and brake pedals. Easy peasy, isn't it?
* 360-degree camera with split-view display - it's a class-exclusive feature that's offered as an option. Four externally-mounted video cameras provide the driver with a bird’s-eye view of up to 7 feet (2.1 m) surrounding the light-duty pickup truck to assist in parking, maneuvering in tight spots and navigating the F-150 on narrow roads and trails at low speeds.
* Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support - a radar mounted at the front of the truck measures the distance and speed of vehicles ahead, then calculates if the F-150 needs to slow to keep a consistent following distance set by the driver. The slower speed will be maintained if adaptive cruise control is activated, while collision warning triggers visual/audio alerts if the system detects the following distance is diminishing too quickly and a collision may occur. Moreover, this system also pre-charges the pickup truck's brakes.
* Smart trailer tow module - being a workhorse, the 2015 Ford F-150 will be used for hauling and towing by most of its customers. This system shows the driver which lights on a trailer connected to the truck aren’t operating properly, so the driver doesn’t have to get out of the truck, walk around the trailer and personally inspect what light has been blown.
* Multi-contour seats - or a fancy way to call a set of massaging front seats. Still, that's a nice thing to have on a truck, especially after a hard day at work.
* BLIS - or blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert is an available feature that uses radar sensors in the tail lamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver. This kind of system has been available on Volvo and Mercedes-Benz cars for a few years now. The aforementioned sensors trigger a warning light in the side-view mirrors to indicate if another vehicle is in a blind spot if the driver is attempting to change lanes. These same sensors can also detect a car coming down an aisle when the driver is reversing out of a parking space.
* Individual tire pressure monitoring system - it was about time Ford offered this on the F-150.
* Hill Descent Control - this system works pretty much like this: the anti-lock brakes are automatically operated by a computer to give the driver control while descending a hill. With the push of a button, the truck’s speed is set automatically, allowing the driver to concentrate on driving, not on braking duties.
* Lane-keeping system - this is a feature worth to tick from the options list. Lane-keeping ensures the truck doesn't stray outside of the intended driving lane. The system automatically detects the left or right-hand road lane markings using a video camera mounted behind the rearview mirror. If the driver doesn't react to a vibration in the steering wheel, the system provides steering torque automatically to help guide the F-150 back into the lane if needed.
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