Ford F-150 buyers love their special editions, and I must admit the new 2017 Lariat Special Edition added to my SuperCrew 3.5 Ecoboost 4×4 tester is one I could definitely fall for as well. This…

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
This is one damn hot looking pickup truck. Notice those red lines between the grey grille strakes? (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

Ford F-150 buyers love their special editions, and I must admit the new 2017 Lariat Special Edition added to my SuperCrew 3.5 Ecoboost 4×4 tester is one I could definitely fall for as well.

This thing looks fabulous! I can’t tell you how many rubbernecking stares I got while driving around town, and my neighbourhood is one of the rarer places to find pickup trucks, at least when it comes to those that live here. There are plenty of plain white work trucks with side signage scattered across the myriad building sites throughout my ever-burgeoning inner-city-like suburb, while the streets are literally littered with the bourgeois supercars of the nouveau super riche, from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, McLaren, and the like. Cars like that are commonplace, but a truck like this totally stands out.

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
The painted bumpers and lack of chrome make this Lariat Special Edition look sporty from all angles. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

Lariat sits third amongst seven trims, the others being XL, XLT, King Ranch, Platinum, Raptor, and Limited. We really should consider the Raptor a completely unique model due to exclusive body panels and an extreme off-road specific driveline, but for the time being we’ll just leave it alone, being that Ford has promised a full week’s test with one in the near future.

Back to the Lariat, while third-rung up the F-150 ladder, its $46,149 price tag is somewhat higher than the XL’s $28,249 starting point, or the XLT’s $30,549 base window sticker. Then again the King Ranch starts at $63,349, which is well into premium-branded luxury mid-size SUV territory, and the Platinum delves even deeper into the luxe class with a sticker of $65,549. The Raptor, incidentally starts at $68,399, while the end-all-to-be-all luxury trucks (or at least Ford would like to have us think of its F-150 Limited this way) is a highfalutin $73,149: ranch owners and contractor/developers only need apply.

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
Lots of red highlights in the cabin set the Lariat Special Edition apart. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

All of a sudden this Lariat is looking pretty approachable, even with its fancy additions. Upgrading to the four-door SuperCrew cab with the five-and-a-half-foot short box, the 3.5-litre Ecoboost V6, new 10-speed automatic (yes, a 10-speed, just like the bike my big brother got when I was relegated to a 5-speed) with auto start/stop, and four-wheel drive elevated that Lariat price to $58,249 (back up to mid-size luxury SUV territory again), while its Ruby Red paint adds another $450.

That black stripe down the side and its black hood decal are part of the Special Edition package mentioned a moment ago, as are the strips of red running across the otherwise grey-tone grille. There’s much more to this $2,400 package than that, mind you, such as LED headlamps with dark housings (my tester also had the Luxury package, so expect halogens in lesser equipped models), body-colour front and rear bumpers, unique 20-inch alloys on 275/55 all-terrain tires and a set of black running boards between them, unique red and black fender and tailgate “F-150” badges, and finally a unique squared off chrome tailpipe finisher on the outside.

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
There’s a lot of tech in the new F-150, and plenty of luxury features. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

Inside, the F-150 Lariat Special Edition gets an exclusive red-stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel, red-stitched detailing on the unique instrument panel and doors, a red-stitched console top, and a very fine looking set of red-accented, leather and psuede-trimmed Special Edition seats, plus all of the features that come with the Lariat and the Luxury package noted a moment ago.

The latter is a $4,900 package that adds whollops of high-end features like those LED headlights that are actually comprised of very cool looking dual-stacking beams and infused with auto high beam technology, while the taillights are upgraded to LEDs as well. The package normally comes with 18-inch chromed wheels and a whole host of chromed exterior trim, all of which gets nixed for the Special Edition package above, but the normally chrome-capped side mirrors (black as-tested) benefit from power-folding capability, auto-dimming, LED side-mirror security approach lights, blindspot monitoring warning lights, and more, while rear cross-traffic alert is also part of the 502A Luxury upgrade.

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
Love those seats, and enamoured with that fabulous panoramic sunroof. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

Additional kit from this package includes rain-sensing wipers, a universal garage door opener, a heatable steering wheel rim, a powered tilt and telescoping steering column with memory, 700-watt 10-speaker Sony audio (with a sub), satellite radio, voice-activated navigation, Sync Connect services, and heatable rear seats.

We could leave it there, but you might notice the addition of the $1,250 Technology package in the photos, which ups the ante with a 360-degree parking monitor with a split-screen display and Dynamic Hitch Assist, plus lane keeping assist.

A $550 spray-in bedliner made the box much more serviceable, while Ford’s exclusive (and still brilliant) $400 Tailgate Step made getting in and out much easier (money well spent for the 50-plus crowd). Likewise for the $300 retractable Box Side Steps, and there were more extras added on, but I will leave it there as this is supposed to be a “Garage” piece, not a complete review.

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost Special Edition
Old man steps… a must-have for my aching back and limber-less limbs. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

That means I’ll be back soon with that full road test review where I’ll talk about how the modern-day legend 3.5 Ecoboost mates up to its new 10-speed partner, and how intrusive (or not) the auto start/stop system is. Fuel economy matters a lot in this class and was one of the key reasons Ford spent all the crazy money needed for this truck’s fully aluminum body shell, so will go over in detail, plus hauling specs, and of course the experiential stuff, how it drives in town, rides overall, pulls away from a stoplight, manages highway speeds, handles, coddles, comforts, etcetera.

Come back soon for a full report…

North America loves its F-series trucks. In 2016 Ford sold 820,799 F-series pickups in the United States. Canada sold nearly 150,000. Ford likes to boast that it’s been Canada’s best selling vehicle…

2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 4×4 SuperCrew

The new 2017 Ford F-150 Lariat 4×4 SuperCrew

North America loves its F-series trucks. In 2016 Ford sold 820,799 F-series pickups in the United States. Canada sold nearly 150,000. Ford likes to boast that it’s been Canada’s best selling vehicle for 51 years and it’s easy to understand why. The closest competitor to the F-series line was the Ram Pickup having sold 89,048 last year, followed by the GMC Sierra with 51,091 and then the Chevrolet Silverado at 44,932.

So what makes the Ford so appealing to the Canadian consumer? Pickups are a different breed today than they were in decades past. Trucks were used for heavy lifting and towing and usually thought of as a tradesman’s tool. However, many have developed luxurious traits that are normally only seen in luxury sedans and SUVs.

The interior of our test model is spacious with tasteful aluminum accents and comfortable bucket seats that are covered in leather. The dash is well thought out and very easy to become accustomed to. There is plenty of room in the back row, which can easily seat three adults side-by-side.

If you love chrome look no further than the Ford F-150 Lariat 4×4 SuperCrew.

This model also has the Lariat Chrome appearance options package ($1,000), which includes a chrome three-bar style grille with chrome surround, chrome mesh inserts, two chrome front tow hooks, chrome skull caps on the exterior mirrors, chrome door handles with body-colour bezels, chrome angular running boards, and of course a single-tip chrome exhaust.

The aesthetics aren’t the only discernable factor about this new model. Our F-150 Lariat 4×4 SuperCrew is also well equipped, this truck featuring a $2,300 equipment package that includes blind spot information, rear cross-traffic alert, trailer tow monitoring, SYNC connect (for your smartphone), Sirius XM satellite radio, 10-speaker audio, voice-activated navigation and LED puddle lamps.

The LED headlights and the chrome grille on this Ford F-150 help give it a rugged look.

It’s easy to get caught up marveling at all the technology and dazzling chrome accents, however the truck’s unseen components make it truly outstanding. The F-150 Lariat comes with a choice of three engines. First, the 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost comes standard and develops 325 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque while only consuming 12.2 L/100km city, 9.3 highway and 10.9 combined.

The second available engine is the $900 optional 5.0-litre V8 with twin independent variable cam timing. It’s fast thanks to 385 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 387 lb-ft of torque at 3,850 rpm. This means it will reach 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds from standstill. The 5.0 is surprisingly fuel-efficient for a V8, but nowhere near the EcoBoost engine. At 16.0 L/100km city, 11.8 highway and 14.1 combined the V8 has comparable fuel economy to the other trucks in its class, including the GMC Sierra SLE 5.3-litre V8 that has a 15.9 L/100km city, 11.1 highway and 13.8 combined rating, and the Ram pickup with the Hemi V8, although not the Ram’s similarly potent EcoDiesel.

Fantastic interior equipped with an awesome infotainment system.

The third available engine is the $1,650 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost developing 365 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm. The fastest of the three, it will reach 100km/h in 5.8 seconds. At 15.6 L/100km city, 13.2 highway and 14.5 combined, this engine is the thirstiest as well, but offers a lot of pulling power. Also, when compared to competitors’ top engine choices it’s a fuel economy leader, partially due to an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission with auto start/stop.

Unfortunately, the 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost and the 5.0-litre V8 are not yet available with the new 10-speed automatic, and come with a proven six-speed automatic transmission instead.

Depending on the engine, drivetrain, and body style, each F-150 model differs in maximum towing capability and maximum payload capacity. The smallest base 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost has a maximum towing capability of 3,855 kg (8,500 lbs) and a maximum payload capacity of 1,002 kg (2,210 lbs) when mated up to the Regular Cab body style and 4×2 drivetrain, whereas the largest 5.0-litre TI-VCT V8 with the Regular Cab 4×2 has a max tow rating of 4,989 kg (11,000 lbs) and a max payload capacity of 1,483 kg (3,270 lbs). Finally, the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 with the Regular Cab and a 4×2 drivetrain has a max towing capability of 5,533 kg (12,200 lbs) and a max payload capacity of 1,470 kg (3,240 lbs).

The F-150’s ability to provide strong performance despite its sizeable proportions isn’t just about engine performance, but more importantly can be attributed to a completely new light truck philosophy at Ford. As part of the 2015 F-150 redesign it switched from utilizing steel for its body and bed to a combination of “military-grade” aluminum and high-strength steel.

In the upcoming review we’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to sit behind the wheel along with a detailed description of the infotainment system that truly impressed us.

Stay tuned for a full review…