Tag Archives: Ford

2026 Ford F-150 STX Lobo

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Ford brings the bad-ass to the F-150

By Gary S. Vasilash

Without question, the Ford F-Series lineup of trucks has a sales streak that will never be bested: it has been the best-selling truck in the US for 49 years running. That was the year Debby Boone was crooning “You Light Up My Life” and the very-first Star Wars movie (Episode IV-A New Hope) hit the screen.

Yes, 49 years is a long time.

During this period there have been some 34-million+ F-Series truck sold.

Now it should be noted that it isn’t just the F-150, because there are also F-Series trucks with the Super Duty moniker.

But by and large, it is because of the massive success of the F-150 that Ford continues to wear the sales crown.

One of the reasons there is such broad acceptance is because there are versions of the truck designed and engineered and priced for a wide range of truck buyers.

There are the F-150 XL, STX, XLT, Lariat, Tremor, King Ranch, Platinum, and Raptor. There F-150s with a 2.7-liter V6, a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid, and a 5.0-liter V8.

One of the latest entries in the showroom is a variant of the STX, the F-150 Lobo.

Ford F-150 Lobo: Lower and more aggro. (Image: Ford)

As lead exterior designer Josh Blundo said of what the truck needed to be:

“Drop it.

“Give it V8 sound and performance. Make dual exhaust tips standard. Add aggressive styling.

“And give it a face that looks … sinister.”

And they checked the boxes.

The Lobo, based on the SuperCrew cab, is lowered in the back by two inches. There is a 10-piece ground-effects array that helps make the truck seem even lower.

And there are those 22-inch gloss black wheels that make it seem as though the truck is hugging the road more than, well, it is hugging the road.

The V8 does more than sound powerful. It produces 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a 10-speed automatic.

The truck is a 4×4 with a 3.73 electronic locking axle ratio.

The “sinister” face is created by having a unique upper grilled that is bisected by a light bar. Below it there is a gloss black mesh lower grille.

From a functional perspective, there is a 5.5-foot box on the back. The Lobo can tow a max 7,900 pounds. The max payload capacity is 1,450 pounds.

It should be noted, however, that while the Maverick Lobo, which was introduced last year, not only is lowered and equipped with exterior modification, also has a twin-clutch rear drive unit that allows the truck (when in “Lobo drive mode”) to send 100% of the rear torque to a single year so as to provide performance capability when throwing it around, the F-150 Lobo doesn’t have that.

Still, with that 400-hp V8 propelling the F-150 Lobo, there is certain driver satisfaction delivered when getting on the throttle.

Ford understands trucks in a way that few do. And the Lobo package is designed to address the interests of those who operate in an urban environment and want their truck to reflect that terrain.

AutoPacific Adjusts EV Forecasts—Downward

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To be sure, the future is uncertain, but these numbers should chill some EV product planners. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

In 2024 in the U.S. Ford delivered 1,793,541 light vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

In 2024 the total number of light vehicles delivered in the U.S. was some 15.9 million units.

If we take the number of Ford ICE vehicles sold, that’s about 11% of the whole market.

According to AutoPacific, in 2024 the total number of electric vehicles (EVs) delivered in the U.S. represented 8% of the market.

That would be 1,272,000 vehicles.

While that is not a trivial number, it is still about half-a-million shy of the number of vehicles that Ford alone sold with internal combustion engines.

You’d think with the billions invested in the vehicles and attendant technology the numbers would be somewhat larger for EVs now.

They aren’t.

AutoPacific has some new numbers that adjust the number of EVs to be sold in the U.S. market, an adjustment that the Federal tax credit of $7,500 that expires on September 30 plays no small roll in.

Or, as Ed Kim, AutoPacific president and chief analyst puts it:  “The EV market in the U.S. is headed for a rough patch with market share growth stalled due to multiple factors related to lack of affordability.”

And the elimination of the tax credit will make the vehicles less affordable.

Last year AutoPacific made projections of what it anticipated the size of the market would be.

And across the board, they are adjusted in a downward direction. And not a trivial decline:

Even with all of the claims of less-expensive, longer-range and quicker-charging EVs coming within a few years’ time, going forward the AutoPacific forecast shows serious declines.

Ford Going Zero

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Now’s the time to buy. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

“Many families have seen their savings go toward higher mortgage rates and summer travel costs. They want a new vehicle but also want options that allow them to forgo an upfront down payment,” said, Rob Kaffl is Ford director, U.S. sales and dealer relations.

So the company has decided it will not only continue with its employee pricing for everyone, but has initiated a summer sales event: “0-0-0.”

Which means zero down payment, zero percent interest for 48 months, and zero payments for 90 days.

Since starting its “From America, For America” campaign in April that provides the employee pricing approach, Ford second quarter sales grew well over the rate of the rest of the industry.

Kaffl: “Momentum matters, and in the past few months we have had plenty of it.”

They want to keep it going with this 0-0-0 program.

What’s more—and it is more—Ford is providing a two-year maintenance program that covers things like oil changes and tire rotations. Certainly a nice benefit.

While there is undoubtedly some small print involved in signing those papers at the dealership, there is some you should know about if you have your eye on a 2025 Bronco Sport, Bronco, Expedition, Maverick, Ranger, Transit, Super Duty, or Lincoln Navigator.

They are excluded from the program.

So that leaves Escape, Mustang Mach-E, Explorer, F-Series, E-Series, and Mustang for Ford brand and Corsair, Nautilus, and Aviator for Lincoln.

Clearly Ford wants to continue to move metal before more tariffs kick in and people are faced with more than high mortgage rates and travel costs.

EV Issues in the UK

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There is the mandate. Then there is the market.

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the questionable Christmas presents that car companies doing business in the UK happened just before the holiday, when the country’s Department of Transport, which has on the books a mandate that by 2030 there will be no new vehicles sold with gasoline or diesel engines under their hoods, announced an eight-week period during which the OEMs would have the opportunity to weigh in on how this can be achieved.

Note this is not an “If.”

As things stand, there are annual targets that must be achieved in terms of zero-emission vehicle—a.k.a., electric vehicles—by the companies.

The UK government is committed to this, apparently, although one wonders if the auto industry begins to crumble because of the penalties associated with not meeting the targets.

Penalties in the form of a fine of £15,000 for every vehicle sold that doesn’t meet the target.

For example, consider Ford, which has been part of the UK’s automotive structure since 1911.

The mandate has it that 22% of a carmaker’s sales in 2024 are electric.

How did Ford do? Apparently 6.8% for the first 11 months, so unless there was some massive change, it will be well below the government bogey.

Which means serious fines.

This is sort of an insult-to-injury situation in that the company has been investing billions of dollars/pounds/euros—pick your currency—in EVs, and because people aren’t as interested in buying them as they are other products, it costs Ford (and other companies that don’t meet the mandate) more.

Heck of a business.

Or as Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders trade association for the auto business in the UK, put it:

“Aside from the billions invested in new technologies and products, it has cost manufacturers in excess of £4 billion in discounting in the UK this year alone. This is unsustainable and, with the 2025 market looking under even greater pressure, it is imperative we get an urgent resolution, with a clear intent to adapt the regulation to support delivery, backed by bold incentives to stimulate demand.”

Which probably means that the government is going to have to pony up more money in order to generate demand.

And Ford isn’t the only company with the lack-of-demand situation. It is estimated EVs will represent 18.7% of the UK car market in 2024, not the mandated 22%.

In 2025 that goes up to 28%.

Hawes’ “unsustainable” is an understatement.

This isn’t just a UK issue.

In the US, where EV sales in 2024 were on the order of 9%, currently standing EPA greenhouse gas regulations have it that more than 50% will need to be EVs by 2030.

The word for that may be “unachievable.”

Ford Keeps the Pickup Crown

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The company just keeps refining it year after year, making it all the better for truck buyers

By Gary S. Vasilash

You’ve got to hand it to the men and women at Ford who have been mightily working for 48 years, dedicated to making the F-Series trucks the best-selling truck models in the U.S. for all those years running.

Ford F-Series: It climbs to the top and stays there. (Image: Ford)

Realize that of all of the segments in the showroom the pickup is the one where there is absolutely intense competition, especially with General Motors in the form of the Silverado and Sierra pickups and Stellantis with the Ram offerings.

Toyota keeps hanging in with its Tundra full-size, which racks up about a quarter of what a Ford or Chevy does in a given quarter.

Nissan realized its Titan wasn’t as mighty as it had hoped, so it has left the scene.

GM, in particular, has been working hard to take some of the luster off of the Ford crown. It often sums the Silverado and Sierra sales so that it can show as a corporation it is selling more pickups. But when someone goes into a showroom to buy a truck, they probably don’t want to have to go to visit the store of another brand to check its offerings (i.e., going from a Chevy dealer to a GMC outlet).

Ford with the F-Series simply checks more of the boxes on the needs and wants lists.

In addition to being the best-selling truck for 48 years in a row, the F-Series sets another record: It is the best-selling vehicle of any type in the U.S. and has been since the Gerald Ford administration (43 years running).

One of the interesting things about the F-Series is that while the F-150, the truck that you probably imagine when someone uses the term “F-Series” (I do), seems to have been around for approximately forever, is actually celebrating its 50th year in 2025.

That is arguably the defintion of iconic.

Better Than Having the Mats Thrown In

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Ford makes it easier for EV buyers to charge at home. What do Bronco buyers get?

By Gary S. Vasilash

Earlier this year the Boston Consulting Group released a report that says, in part, “perhaps the biggest challenge for OEMs is to produce the next generation of EVs profitably. We estimate that most OEMs currently lose around $6,000 on each EV they effectively sell for $50,000, after accounting for customer tax credits.”

Given that the current generation of EVs is what’s presently on dealer lots, that’s lots of money that the legacy OEMs are spending to move the metal.

But because of the billions of dollars they have spent on building out the capacity to produce EVs, they want to keep the production lines running.

Consequently, they are coming up with things that will make EVs more appealing to customers, the $6,000 be damned.

Buy an EV. Get a charger. (Image: Ford)

Earlier this week Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote, “Cheap lease deals on electric vehicles are popping up everywhere. Ford believes it will take more than jumbo rebates to truly break through with the estimated 19 million people in the U.S. interested in electric vehicles.”

Note that he writes “it will take more”—something additive. The rebates and incentives are still part of the game.

Farley goes on to provide details on how Ford is addressing this, through what they call the “Ford Power Promise.”

To provide ease of mind for people, this includes such things as complementary roadside assistance, expanded 24/7 advisor support, and the ability to use its Plug and Charge service that allows a driver to plug in at a charging station and have the electricity charged to the driver’s FordPass account.

But perhaps most significantly, Farley writes: “Buy or lease a retail Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning or E-Transit and take a complimentary home charger with you or have it delivered, and when you’re ready, an expert comes out to install it at no charge for a standard install.”

That’s right: Ford is paying for customers to have home charging capability, something that costs, on average, $1,000.

This could be a clever marketing approach to getting more people in Ford EVs now (the offer expires on January 2, 2025) and presumably next-gen EVs—after all, if the charger is there, people probably figure they might as well use it.

Consider that both the Mach-E and the E-Transit qualify for the IRA tax credit of $3,750 and the F-150 Lightning the full $7,500.

Go buy an Explorer or Bronco and the only tax-related thing will be the sales tax that you’re paying.

Seems that this EV transition is not only costing the OEMs an enormous amount of money, but let’s face it: the government isn’t magically making those credits appear, so all tax payers are kicking in, as well.

About Automotive Loyalty

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Put out good products, and people will come back and buy. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

J.D. Power has a simple way to calculate customer loyalty to a brand.

Not easy.

But simple.

That is, it gets information from some 16,000 dealers about sales.

Then it creates a subset of those sales: Those that included a customer replacing an existing vehicle with a new one.

Then it creates a subset of that: Those transactions in which the old and new are the same brand.

And so it has released its “J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study” based on sales between September 2023 through August 2024.

The study includes some things that might be expected and some surprises.

As for the expected: Porsche is the highest-ranked Premium Car and Ford has the high-ranked Truck.

But then things get interesting.

As in the top brand for loyalty in the Premium SUV category: Lexus.

And the Mass Market SUV isn’t something from Ford or GM but Honda.

When it comes to Mass Market Car, the top two are Toyota and Honda.

Of course, when it comes to Mass Market Cars you can’t get one from Ford or GM, as they have abandoned the segment.

Here’s the thing: in the first half of 2024

  • Toyota sold 277,233 Camrys and Corollas
  • Honda sold 210,509 Accords and Civics

I suspect that both companies are making some money on those vehicles.

What’s more, as Lexus is a Toyota brand and as Honda is, well, Honda, they are doing well loyalty-wise when it comes to their SUV offerings, too.

2025 Bronco Sport Goes Sasquatch

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The small SUV emulates its big brother. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Because more than 50% of Ford Bronco Sport owners have been known to take their small SUV off the tarmac, according to Mike Weller, brand manager for the vehicle, for 2025 the vehicle is being upgraded, taking that adverturousness into account. While this is across the board for the vehicle, it is particularly germane for the 1.5-liter Outer Banks and 2.0-liter Badlands models, which can be equipped with the Sasquatch off-road package.

Eddie Khan, Bronco Sport vehicle engineering manager, notes that some other small SUVs have the appearance of ruggedness, but “Bronco Sport is engineered rugged from the inside out and top to bottom.” (According to Ford, Bronco Sport drivers go off road 3.5 time more often than competitive vehicles, so that engineering is important for go, not just show.)

The 2025 Bronco Sport. Some people drive them to the grocery store. Some people drive them over rocks and sand and such to get to the grocery store—or just because they can. (Image: Ford)

Designed to Perform

It must be admitted, however, the Bronco Sport Sasquatch has functional features that make it look rugged, as in a standard front brush guard, steel skid plates, and front and rear bumpers that are fitted with steel bash plates. There are two cast two hooks in the front and a pair of cast D-rings in the back that serve as recovery points.

But beyond those visible modifications there are several things that make the ’25 Sasquatch-fitted vehicles more capable.

Such as:

  • A twin-clutch rear-drive unit
  • Locking rear differential
  • 29-inch 235/65/R17 Goodyear Territory all-terrain tires
  • Bilstein rear shocks with position-sensitive damping and piggyback reservoirs
  • New front and rear springs to provide additional suspension travel (8.3 inches in the front and 8.7 inches in the rear)

For both the standard Bronco Sport Badlands and the Badlands Sasquatch models there is a new Rally G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) mode that allows the vehicle to be driven on sand at higher speeds via holding gears longer, improving throttle demand, and increasing steering feedback.

Off Road Aides

Another borrowing from the bigger Bronco there is the addition of Trail One-Pedal Drive to the Bronco Sport, which allows the vehicle to be driven with the accelerator pedal alone during rock crawling.

Also available is a 360° camera that have Trail View. When put in Off-Road or Rally G.O.A.T. modes, the camera is activated. The Badlands and Sasquatch Badlands models also have a “Split View” for the camera system that shows the front tires of the vehicle.

On the inside of the 2025 Bronco Sport (all models) are features including a 13.2-inch center display that runs the SYNC 4 system (wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard) and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. Recognizing that people like to accessorize their vehicles, there is an abundance of “Bronco Bolts” inside and out, fasteners specifically engineered for users who may want to add lightbars up front or mount cameras inside.

When?

The 2025 Bronco Sport Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands models will be available at dealers in November. The Sasquatch models will arrive in Q1 2025.

Ford’s Latest Police Interceptor Utility

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Things you probably don’t want to know about. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Here’s something you probably don’t want to experience: aspects of the standard features offered in the new 2025 Police Interceptor Utility:

Police Perimeter Alert. . . Police Engine Idle. . . Police Dark Car Feature. . . Rear Camera on Demand. . . H8 AGM Battery. . . Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert . . .Manual Police Pursuit Mode – Steering Wheel Switch Execution. . . Red/White Dome Lamp – Cargo Area. . . Rearview Camera with Washer Viewable in 8″ Center Stack Screen. . . Ford Pro Upfit Integration System. . . Keyless Entry with 4 Manual Keys. . . 6-Way Power Passenger Seat. . . Police Accessory Independent Timed-Release Output (PAITRO) – Output Tied to Liftgate Release Switch. . . Climate Control – Rear Aux A/C System. . . Updated Police Grade Cloth Trim Seat Material. . . 12.3″ Digital Instrument Cluster with Certified Calibration. . . Keyless Entry – Key FOB Only (Less PATS). . . Simple Fleet Key (w/o microchip, easy to replace: 4-keys). . . Two 50-amp power distribution junction box

The 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility. Departments looking for fuel economy can opt for a hybrid powertrain. (Image: Ford)

Seems like the only thing you’d really be interested in were you to find yourself in the back of one is that rear aux A/C system. And perhaps the seating material.

The rest of the stuff is germane to the professionals.

The Police Interceptor is based on the Explorer that you can find in a dealer near you.

But this vehicle isn’t simply an Explorer with additional lights and a profoundly different paint scheme.

It is engineered to be a police vehicle. It is being offered through Ford Pro, underlining that this is a commercial, not consumer, vehicle.

There are three powertrain options. There is a 3.3-liter V6 that produces 285 hp. A 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that produces up to 400 hp—but that’s if the vehicle is using Premium gas, which is probably not something that municipalities are in favor of.

And there is a 3.3-liter V6-based hybrid that produces a system output of 318 hp.

One of the arguments that Ford makes for the hybrid is that the onboard equipment operates even when the engine shuts off. This, it is calculated, means a savings of up to 838 gallons of gas per year because the engine isn’t idling so that various things in the vehicle work.

So, if gas is at $3.50 per gallon, this can translate into a savings of $17,500 over a six-year period.

Which matters as budgets at municipalities are stretched.

(Here’s something interesting: the new consumer version of the Explorer is not offered with a hybrid, something that had been available before the recent midcycle refresh. Given the popularity of that powertrain—as consumers budgets are being stretched—it seems likely Ford may rectify that. After all, they like fuel efficiency, too.)

Fill In the Blanks

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OK. The images give it away. But still: who would have thought?

By Gary S. Vasilash

Tyler Hill, Ford global brand licensing manager: “These new _______ will allow more people to experience the adventurous spirit of a Bronco and the exhilaration of a Mustang from the moment they grip the __________.”

That would be:

  • e-bikes
  • handlebars

That’s right, a Bronco e-bike and a Mustang e-bike.

These bikes, developed with N+, are not for the causal rider.

Both feature 750-W hub motors that can allow the rider up to 28 mph.

To help stop, there are four-piston hydraulic brakes.

(Images: Ford)

The Bronco bike has a dual-suspension system that is said to allow the bike to handle “any type of terrain,” just like the SUV that inspires it.

The Mustang comes in a special 60th anniversary model. A little quick math indicates that were someone in 1964 able to afford a Mustang that person would have probably been at least 20 years old, so that person is likely not to be in the intended customer for the e-bike.

And speaking of customers, the Bronco bike has an MSRP of $4,500 and the Mustang $4,000.

Ordering can be performed through www.ford-bikes.com