Ford unveils concept version of F-150 pickup
DETROIT — Ford brought out some big-budget effects to introduce the concept version of the new F-150 pickup.
Not content to simply lift a curtain, the automaker lowered the truck from the ceiling of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, while a live band played and sparks flew on a simulated construction site. The event was one of the key moments of Day 2 of the media preview for the North American International Auto Show.
“This truck pushes the limits of what a full-size pickup can be,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president for the Americas.
And its production value pushed the limits of a trade-show presentation.
Ford has become known for its widescreen approach to the Detroit show, renting out a hockey arena while its peers are usually content to do their presentations from stands on the nearby convention center floor.
The backdrop was several levels of metal beams that also lowered from the ceiling, made to look like a construction site. Hard-hatted “workers” welded on the beams, leading to a spray of sparks.
Ford calls the vehicle the “Atlas Concept.” It is an early version of what will be the next F-150, featuring more ways to carry cargo, improved fuel economy and high-tech tools to help with hooking up a hitch.
Though it is the top-selling vehicle in the United States, the F-150 is facing heightened competition this year from a new Chevrolet Silverado.
Natural-gas cars
Last year, when Gov. John Kasich talked to auto executives about the possibility of natural-gas cars, he didn’t hear much in return.
Things have changed, at least a little, the governor said yesterday at the auto show.
“There is a real interest in compressed natural-gas vehicles,” he said, meeting with reporters on the show floor. “You can see that the market ... is really growing on this.”
Only a small number of vehicles on the market, or scheduled for release, run on natural gas. Most others need to be converted, and can then run on gasoline or natural gas.
Kasich did not give specifics about what auto executives told him, but he said he is more optimistic than before that auto companies see the potential for natural-gas vehicles. He supports the fuel largely because it can be produced in Ohio.
Upscale Kia
A brand known for low prices is about to release its first premium sedan.
Kia introduced the 2014 Cadenza yesterday, saying it hopes to build on its recent successes in other parts of the market.
“The Cadenza is the new flagship for Kia in the U.S. market, and when it goes on sale later this year it will introduce a number of advanced systems that promise to set a new standard in the premium segment,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing, in a statement.
The model will be a step up from the Kia Optima, whose pricing starts at about $21,000; the Cadenza’s price has not been disclosed.
At a news conference, the vehicle was introduced by a team of a dozen or so dancers holding tablet computers.
A Kia official spoke to the audience as a disembodied face appearing on a tablet on a helmet worn by someone else.
It was a presentation that probably cost a fraction of Ford’s but was one of the most talked-about of the day.
