F-150 NAMED ONE AND ONLY TRUCK OF TEXAS; NEW TRUCK OFFERS BEST CAPABILITY, UNSURPASSED FUEL ECONOMY
DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2008 – The new 2009 F-150
has been recognized as the one and only “Truck of Texas” by the Texas
Auto Writers Association (TAWA) – the sixth consecutive year a Ford
truck has won top honors.
Ford’s lineup of trucks also was named
Truck Line of Texas, while the Ford Flex and Expedition King Ranch
received top honors as CUV and SUV of Texas, respectively. Sweeping all
four vehicle-centered top honors, Ford emerged the clear winner at this
year’s TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo.
“This is high praise,
especially the coveted ‘Truck of Texas’ top prize,” said Mark Fields,
Ford’s President of the Americas. “Texas Auto Writers are the toughest
truck critics because they know firsthand and truly appreciate how core
truck customers really use their pickups.
“We’re honored that
TAWA recognizes that the new F-150 offers consumers class-leading
capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and durability that shows how
closely we’ve been listening to our customers for the 31 years Ford
trucks have been America’s favorite,” he added.
According to
Harold Gunn, President of TAWA, this year’s competition was tighter
than ever because all of the manufacturers are delivering outstanding
trucks.
“‘Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the
industry,” said Gunn. “We love trucks down here, and we really use
these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our
vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed,
but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”
On sale now, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an
average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a
wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as
high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped
with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same
time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300
pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other
competitor can match.
“Earning the trust of so many truck
customers during the past 31 years has taught us a lot about what they
want and value from their F-150,” said Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief
engineer. “In the past, there was a tradeoff – more fuel economy meant
less capability and vice versa. With the new F-150, we didn’t accept
tradeoffs. We delivered capability and fuel economy, and that’s why the
F-150 is the definitive full-size pickup on the market.”
Other Ford Motor Company vehicles winning top honors in their categories at the TAWA Rodeo include:
- Best Luxury Pickup: 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch
- Best Full-Size CUV: 2009 Ford Flex
- Best Mid-Size CUV: 2009 Mazda CX9
- Best Luxury CUV: 2009 Lincoln MKX
- Best Mid-Size SUV: 2009 Ford Explorer
- Best Heavy Duty Pickup: 2009 Ford F-350 Super Duty Cabela’s Edition
