-
Release date, Price
The Atlas was a concept truck released by Ford in 2013 in order to showcase the design of the future F-150. Well, it now seems that the history will repeat itself because rumors about a new 2018 Ford Atlas Truck started to surface around.
This truck is expected to show-off most of the design scheme that will appear on the facelift of the F-150. This is expected to debut by the end of 2018 but until then, the Atlas should showcase the truck by the end of 2017.At this point not much else is known about the truck but it seems that Ford wants to do something more than just a small refresh.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas
The reason for this
While most other manufacturers would be happy with a small refresh on such a new truck, Ford wants more. Why? Well, both General Motors and Dodge are expected to launch all new trucks right around the same time. In order to compete with these and give their customers the best, Ford has to release something new.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas
The upcoming F-150 will share the chassis as well as the aluminum body with the ongoing model. However, the design, inside and out, should be all new. On top of that, most of the powertrain as well as running gear might also be updated considerably. Its price is currently unknown but expect it to change very little when compared to the ongoing model.
How it will look
We are quite sure that the 2018 Ford Atlas Truck is going to look like a polished version of the F-150. Ford isn’t currently set on changing the design of the truck completely mainly because this would also make the new F-150 quite a bit more expensive to make.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas
In the front the truck will likely receive a new set of headlights and probably a new grille. The bumper, front fenders and even the hood should be pretty much the same as before. The cabin will stay the same as well but the bed will change. Here, the tailgate is expected to become a modular in order to compete with those of its rivals.
The Interior of Ford Atlas
The current F-150 is a great truck when it comes to interior space and features and the upcoming model should be no different. The Atlas will bring that to a step further.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas Interior
The truck is expected to receive things like a fully digital instrument cluster which has been seen on a few European cars lately.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas Interior
On top of that, the infotainment system as well as the materials should be updated with the best Ford has to offer. The available space as well as the driving position on the other hand will stay the same as before.
Under the hood
The 2018 Ford Atlas Concept is expected to bring to the F-150 range a couple new engines. While the actual production truck will offer more, the Atlas should offer just two.
The truck is expected to get a new 3 liter turbocharged V6 diesel. This engine has been in use on a few Jaguar and Land Rover cars for some time now. In the Ford it should be tweaked in order to offer a slightly higher output as well as more low-end torque.
source:caranddriver.com 2018 Ford Atlas Engine
With it, the Atlas should bring to the market Ford’s new 10 speed automatic on the entire F-150 range and not just on the Raptor. The other engine expected to hit the market is a small 2.3 liter turbocharged inline 4.
This would offer around 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque and directly replace the old 3.5 liter V6. This is currently offering just 283 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque so the smaller 2.3 liter would actually be a sizable upgrade.
2018 Ford Atlas Truck
