The 2016 Ford F-150 could cost $70,000. Really?

Michael James

July 21, 2015

The countryโ€™s best-selling vehicle may now cost more than $70,000. The high-end sticker price belongs to a limited edition of the soon-to-debut 2016 Ford F-150 pickup.

Ford has announced the F-150 Limited will be available in late 2015 as a 2016 model. The manufacturer has not announced price details, but the new offering will start at about $60,000 and will likely surpass $70,000 with all of its options.

The new edition will feature include 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, Mojave leather seats and interior accents made of aluminum and fiddleback eucalyptus. Each truckโ€™s production number will be laser-engraved in a VIN plate on the center console lid.

โ€œThe F-150 Limited sets a new bar for what discerning customers should expect in a high-end truck,โ€ Raj Nair, Fordโ€™s product development chief, said. โ€œWeโ€™re adding segment-exclusive technology, and features that improve productivity, convenience and capability with distinctive style.โ€

The 2016 Ford F-150 could cost more than $70,000.
The 2016 Ford F-150 could cost more than $70,000.

Ford offered a Limited trim on the 2013 and 2014 F-150, at a starting price of about $53,000, but discontinued it when the aluminum-bodied model was introduced as a 2-15 model.

The Limited trim isnโ€™t expected to sell in large numbers, it gives Ford another way to maximize revenue from the hugely profitable F-series lineup. Its starting price is about $10,000 more than that of the Chevrolet Silvardo High Country $8,000 more than a Ram 1500 Limited and the same as a BMX X6.

โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of people who buy trucks as both a work tool and a status symbol,โ€ said Karl Brauer, senior director of insights for Kelley Blue Book, told Automotive News. โ€œYou have a lot of wealthy businesspeople who have the money to buy an extremely capable and extremely luxurious truck. Itโ€™s not any financial stretch for these people to spend 50 or 70 grand.โ€

In the first half of this year, Ford said 60 percent of F-Series sales were so-called high-series trims: Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. The truckโ€™s average transaction price jumped 9 percent to $44,100 from a year ago.

Ford sold about 190,000 F series for more than $50,000 last year, TrueCar estimated, outselling BMWโ€™s 3, 5 and 7 series combined and the entire Audi brand.

The F-150 Limited will have a 3.5-liter, EcoBoost V-6 engine, which is a $400 option on the King Ranch and Platinum trims. It will have a unique grille, raised โ€œLimitedโ€ lettering on the hood and a satin-chrome exterior accents. The interior contains massaging front seats, a Sony 10-speaker sound system and scuff plates with โ€œice blueโ€ backlighting.

Article Last Updated: July 21, 2015.

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