• Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2024 Ford F-150 in Powerboost and Tremor form.
Palm Springs, CA – As the saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On the other hand, in the case of the F-150 that is also facing increasingly stiff competition from Ram, Chevrolet and Toyota, it pays to keep things fresh. In fact, it’s a necessity.
With that in mind, the F-150 received a number of tweaks across its generous trim selection for 2024.
2024 Ford F-150 – What’s new?
While the new “Coast to Coast” grille style (still gets the copper trim in Tremor form) and modified headlights are what greet you when you first approach the 2024 F-150, it’s what’s going on around back that’s the game changer.
You can see it, if you look, especially on lighter-coloured trucks: two seams about a third of the way into the tailgate. Those denote the existence of the new Pro Access Tailgate. This allows the gate to be opened either traditional flip-down style or like a barn door, so you can access the gate while towing. That, or you can more easily reach items at the rear edge of the tailgate without having to reach over the door.
It comes as part of an option package that also adds cleats, bed lights, a power up/down tailgate and a tailgate work surface. There’s also a new bed step feature that no longer requires multiple steps to deploy as was once the case. That older system is still available, though, and would be the smarter choice on the off-road spec-ed trucks as you’ll get better ground clearance.
Also new for 2024 is the standard availability of a 12-inch touchscreen display and for the first time in an F-150, a heads-up display starting on the Lariat trim as an option.
Design of the 2024 Ford F-150 – 8.5/10
In Tremor form, the F-150 looks just enough like the bad boy Raptor, just less over-the-top. The Tremor gets larger 35-inch tires, a higher ride height and copper design elements on the grille, the fender badges and splashed across certain interior bits as well. Coupled with the new, dark grille, those copper bits help differentiate this particular interior from other models.
On the practical side, the tailgate surface gets all manner of stuff to help you get work done if you option it as such. There’s a ruler, slots for your iPad, cupholders and, beyond the tailgate on the bed wall, the Pro Power Onboard generator. Available in 2.0 kW, 2.4 kW and 7.2 kW power levels (only the Powerboost hybrid and Lighting EV get the most powerful version, however), these generators can power an entire jobsite.
To prove this, Ford had a Powerboost model on display that was attached to a number of fans, air conditioners, cooking tools and more. It gives the ability to generate power at all times, plus it saves you wasting precious bed space or payload capacity on a heavy diesel generator.
Interior
Otherwise, the F-150’s interior is a comfortable place. Supportive and well-cushioned, the chairs are well designed, and the doors are shaped to ensure their armrests are level with the central armrest.
Also returning for 2024 – because, if we’re honest, why wouldn’t they bring this back – is the foldaway shifter. What this does is allow for a large, flat surface atop the transmission tunnel, which can be used to work, eat or watch your favourite show on your iPad. Like the flat centre console, the rear floor can also be set as a completely flat surface, leaving all sorts of room for gear.
Technology in the 2024 Ford F-150 – 8.5/10
The standard inclusion of the 12-inch display even on base trucks is a big add. It looks good, plus it offers features that go hand-in-hand with the pickup as a work vehicle. It’s here you can view the draw on your Pro Power Onboard system as well as a scale feature to see how your payload is sitting.
In addition to the traditional backup cam, the display can also be used to line up your hitch, and there’s a new feature that will steer the truck in line with your hitch all by itself. It will pause just before contact so you can ensure that the heights are correct, but after that it does all the work. Consider as well the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature that allows you to steer your trailer backwards by turning a dial instead of the wheel. Ford has yet again made towing easier for newbies and vets alike.
Also new for 2024 is the addition of Ford BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving. Once you have the lane-centering assist on by pressing a wheel-mounted button and then hitting cruise, any F-150 equipped with BlueCruise will be able to drive itself along 150,000 miles of roads in the US and Canada, on divided highways with no level crossings.
By the way 2024 sees the arrival of BlueCruise 2.1 that will now change lanes for you so long as you indicate first. It works well but unlike GM’s Super Cruise, it won’t exit freeways for you and it works on fewer roads. Of course the divided highways on which it does work are probably the most likely place any given driver will use the tech, but I’ve sampled Super Cruise on two-lane roads with level crossings and it’s amazing how well it can work there.
Powertrains of the 2024 Ford F-150 – 8/10
The F-150 Tremor comes standard with a 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo good for 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque, placing it second in the non-Raptor power sweepstakes to the Powerboost, which is good for 430 hp and 570 lb-ft. The truck’s base engine is a 2.7L EcoBoost good for 325 hp and 400 lb-ft, while at the other extreme a 5.0L V8 (optional on the Tremor) rounds out the lineup (it’s good for 400 hp and 410 lb-ft).
Note that the 3.5L EcoBoost engine delivers the bast towing capacity at 6,123 kg (13,500 lb), depending on spec.
Driving the 2024 Ford F-150 – 8/10
The real takeaway on paved roads is how smooth the F-150 drives. Granted, we did have some air suspension tech, but that doesn’t affect how quiet the proceedings are, or how quickly the front end responds to steering inputs.
For 2024, Ford tweaked bits of the steering and front axle to make for a more responsive rack, and this can be felt as the goings get more twisty. It’s as car-like as the F-150 has ever felt – as any mid-size pickup I’ve ever driven, for that matter – and that’s important since owners increasingly use their trucks for more than just hauling gravel and tools. It may seem trivial, but to someone who isn’t used to driving a large vehicle, steering feel and response is an important factor.
Power-wise, just know that no matter which truck you select, there’s quite a lot of it. Maybe not so much the 2.7 - I think that if you’re going that way, you might be better off opting for a smaller truck like the Ranger (where that engine is also available) - but still. 500 torques for the highest-volume engine they offer? That’s a huge number and the fact the more fuel-efficient hybrid model makes even more than that is another feather in the F-150’s cap.
In keeping with the ride, acceleration is properly smooth and when unladed, you’ll have little trouble keeping up with traffic on any given highway.
2024 Ford F-150 pricing in Canada
Here’s the pricing structure for the 2024 F-150 in Canada, including the Tremor and Powerboost Lariat models we drove:
Regular Cab
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x2: $49,955
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x4: $54,455
Super Cab
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x2: $55,850
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x4: $60,350
- - 2024 F-150 STX 4x2: $58,260
- - 2024 F-150 STX 4x4: $62,760
- - 2024 F-150 XLT 4x2: $60,895
- - 2024 F-150 XLT 4x4: $65,395
Super Crew
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x2: $59,030
- - 2024 F-150 XL 4x4: $62,180
- - 2024 F-150 STX 4x2: $61,440
- - 2024 F-150 STX 4x4: $64,590
- - 2024 F-150 XLT 4x2: $64,075
- - 2024 F-150 XLT 4x4: $67,225
4x4 only
- - 2024 F-150 Tremor: $75,980
- - 2024 F-150 Lariat: $80,495
- - 2024 F-150 King Ranch: $92,790
- - 2024 F-150 Platinum: $101,590
- - 2024 F-150 Platinum Plus: $108,740
Powerboost Hybrid add:
- - $4,575 if replacing 2.7L EcoBoost (XLT)
- - $2,500 if replacing 3.5L EcoBoost (Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum)
- - $1,900 if replacing 5.0L V8 (long wheelbase XLT 4 x 4)
Some of your questions about the 2024 Ford F-150
How many bed lengths and cab styles are there?
Depending on spec, you can choose either a 5.5-, 6.5- or 8-foot bed. Three cabs are available: two-door Regular cab, four-door Supercab with reverse-hinge drear doors or four-door Supercrew.
Is the Raptor model still available for 2024?
For 2024, the Raptor returns in two forms: 3.5L high-output turbo V6 with 450 hp and 510 lb-ft, while the Raptor R gets a Supercharged V8 with a gobsmacking 720 hp and 640 lb-ft.
The final word
Thanks to the ride, the new tech and the new tailgate, the F-150 has received a host of tweaks that look to ensure it not only keeps up with the Joneses, but surpasses them in many ways. It’s quite the thing when a vehicle with such a storied history gets updated and still manages to keep intact all that’s made it so popular, but that’s what we’ve seen for the F-150 in 2024.
Competitors of the 2024 Ford F-150
- - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- - GMC Sierra 1500
- - Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
- - Toyota Tundra
