Ford rolls out new F-150 with aluminium body, better fuel economy

Southfield, Michigan

FORD Motor Co said that its aluminium- bodied F-150 pickup will get as much as 29 per cent better fuel economy than its mostly steel predecessor as the carmaker gambles with a new design for its top-selling and most profitable model.

When equipped with a 2.7-litre EcoBoost engine, the truck has an estimated fuel economy of 26 miles per gallon (11 kilometres per litre) on the highway and 19 in the city, Raj Nair, Ford's product development chief, said on Friday. Production began earlier this month at Ford's Rouge factory and it's scheduled to arrive in showrooms by the end of this year. The company has started shipping the trucks to dealers.