Ford Atlas Concept

Ford made a surprise showing of their new Atlas concept at the Detroit auto show, oddly stuck on the end of a presentation on their commercial vans. The Atlas is a concept model for a full size pickup, and is almost certainly representative of the direction they hope to move the F-series pickups. The F series, of course, is and has been the best-selling fullsize pickup, in the States anyway, for almost four decades. The unveiling of the new concept might have something to do with the two new full size pickups that GM unveiled just recently. These trucks compete for the same market, of course, and it's easy to imagine that Ford wanted to sneak in a little spotlight time.

Testosterone is definitely the name of the game here. “Built Ford Tough” has been Ford's slogan since the eighties, and each new model year seems to push that slogan even further. The raised arches over the wheel wells speaks to this, but the beastly front grille seems to bellow. While Ford reports that the Atlas explores improvements for the also-beastly fuel consumption of the F series, it is also clear that this is an exploration of the “bigger is better” theory of American auto design.

However, there are fuel-economy gains to be seen here. The Atlas boasts a “truck-enhanced” stop start system on the twin-turbo EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6. That beastly grille actually has shutters that close when the engine is cool, leading to better aerodynamics. The front dam lowers and raises at speed, allowing for better freeway mileage, but still allowing obstacle clearance when you're tooling around off-road. Technically impressive, but all told these only add about two miles to the gallon at highway speeds.

Nifty features abound in the new design. Some are pretty standard, like multiple tie-down points in the bed and cargo walls, interior knobs that are more friendly to gloved hands, and 110 volt outlets in the bed. It's also got a 360 degree camera, which is new to Ford but not to other full-size pickup trucks. More dramatic are the unique features Ford is building in, things like a tailgate step that is also a cargo cradle. There are cargo ramps that slide under the bed and a roof system for hauling longer objects. A feature found particularly intriguing is a Trailer Backup Assist, which is supposed to help novices back trailers into parking spots. (If you've ever seen a novice try to back a trailer into anything, you're probably also familiar with what a heart attack feels like.)

Of course, the Atlas is just a concept model and there's really no telling how many of these features will make into the produced F line. They do show Ford is thinking, however, and that they know the needs of their market in a way few other manufacturers do, regardless of the product. With forward-looking ideas like these, it's clear that Ford wants to stay the best-selling full-size pickup in America.

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