Known for its futuristic design and muscular looks, the 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas is likely to give tough competition to its arch rivals – Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. The five years down the line, history is getting prepared to repeat itself with its all-new model of Ford F-150 Atlas. Taking a deeper look into its specifications is sure to make this belief stronger.
2018 Ford F-150 Atlas – Futuristic Interior
The Ford has made a serious effort to raise interior specification standards. With a dark gray finish, leather interiors and a blue LED theme running all around, the 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas claims to have an interior that is much ahead its time. It tries to provide a metallic “Tron” like finish with sharp edges defining most of its interior components. The Ford comes up with few features which are unique to its Atlas. These include a hidden cargo ramp that slides under its bed floor and a “tailgate step” which can double as a cargo cradle.
It is supposed to boast of an 8-inch infotainment system with 10 speaker surround sound speakers. For people at the rear, a 6 inch LED screen will be provided as standard. These may be backed up with a sunroof, heated seating, Bluetooth, and navigation. The Atlas might boast of a voice recognition system coupled with Siri’s eyes.
Talking of its bed load, it is sure to come in three variants – 5 foot 6 inch, 6 foot 6 inches and 8 foot. Considering Chevy Silverado 1500 which comes with similar specs, the Ford is making an effort to lock horns in this segment as well.
Double Decked Front Headlights
From the days of the concept, the F-150 Atlas has struck a chord with its design. Its production variant is likely to retain all concept design aspects including an all chrome front grille with double decked from headlights. However, the Ford claims to go with a lighter model this time owing to its all-aluminum finished body.
Wheelbase is likely to remain same with new electric outlets paired with its trailer. As a regular 4-door pickup, it is going to use standard 17-inch tires with 21 inches larger variants as optional. The Company claims its Atlas to have active wheel shutters which close during high speed to increase the aerodynamics of this vehicle.
Has safety been ensured?
The company does not compromise on safety with its 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas. Its Dynamic Hill Climb Assist, 360-degree camera and trailer Assist come as standard. While Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Assist, Rear Park Assist, Drowsy Driving Alert and Forward Collision Alert are speculated to be present as well.
2018 Ford F-150 Atlas – Powertrain and Tow Capacity
While Ford has not yet confirmed or denied this fact, trusted sources say that U.S.A is likely to receive its first hybrid diesel pickup truck in its near future. This is even more rumored as the 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas will be upgraded from its standard 3.5-liter V6 engine to a 5.0-liter V8 engine which comes with an eco-boost variant.
The power values are likely to jump from 280 HP to 360 HP producing 380 lb-ft of torque for 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas. It is speculated to go for a mild hybrid diesel eco boost engine as an introductory experiment which would challenge the Silverado and Sierra in terms of fuel efficiency and is confident to outrun them as well.
The acceleration values for this 10-speed automatic engine stand at 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds with EPA ratings of 25 mpg on highways and 18 mpg in cities. The top speed is going to be around the 120 mph mark. However, speculations say if the Ford comes up with a successful hybrid engine, the EPA ratings will jump to 40 mpg on highways making it the most fuel economic production pick up ever.
How much can it tow?
While its predecessors came in two drivetrains of 4×2 and 4×4 variants, the 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas is going to be launched in an AWD variant. Its towing capacity has been declared to be a whopping 12,200 lbs as compared to its predecessors which could tow only 8,500 lbs. In addition to this, the Ford claims to have powered its Atlas with a payload capacity of 3,300 lbs. With all this strength, the 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas outruns the Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 by a margin of almost 400 lbs. As per speculation for a hybrid model, towing capacity and bed load will remain unaffected.
2018 Ford F-150 Atlas – Conclusion, Price and Release Date
With Dodge and Chevrolet to come up against this 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas, market dominance seems to under Ford’s control. While a new speculated hybrid engine might outrun others completely, its lightweight aluminum body provides quite a tough competition to its rivals. The 2018 Ford F-150 Atlas is going to be priced slightly higher than usual around the $50,000 bracket and is going to be released in mid or late 2018.