The Tremor will roll into showrooms this fall. Officially, Ford is not giving pricing, but those familiar with the plans say the Tremor is likely to have a sticker price between $23,000 and $27,000.
Pushing Fuel Efficiency
The pickup will come with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, essentially giving drivers the performance of an 8-cylinder engine in a smaller, more fuel-efficient engine. Ford has found better mileage is driving more truck owners to replace their existing pickups.
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"The fuel economy you get today compared to the one that is 11 years old, the business equation says you should buy one now," said Hinrichs.
More than 40 percent of the F-Series trucks that Ford sells are now coming with EcoBoost engines.
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Better mileage will also be an area of marketing battles between Ford and its chief rivals in pickups. Both General Motors and Chrysler have new pickups headed to showrooms in the months to come, and both automakers will tout better fuel efficiency for their trucks.
Growing Profit Margins with Trucks
The combination of greater demand for trucks and Ford's lead in full-size pickups is helping the automaker post record profit margins in North America. Several analysts estimate Ford makes an average profit of $10,000 on every F-Series truck it sells. A lot of that is driven by Ford selling a more high-end F-Series with more luxury features.