Ford Dissects the New 2018 F150 Exterior Design

The 2018 Ford F150 was introduced at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and it has since been displayed in key cities like Chicago and New York, but the Motor Company really hasn’t talked much about the redesigned F150. We have focused mostly on the revamped engine lineup, which will finally include a turbo diesel engine mated to the new 10-speed automatic transmission, but for many buyers, the exterior design matters more than the new diesel option.

Fortunately, Ford Motor Company has put together an infographic breaking down all of the key changes made to the exterior design of the 2018 Ford F150.

“We call our F-Series customers ‘bold guardians of the brand,’” says Ford truck design chief Gordon Platto. “These customers know our Built Ford Tough DNA, and they want their trucks to convey strength, capability, boldness and power – without being ‘in your face’ aggressive.”

The 2018 Ford F150
The key aspect of the 2018 Ford F150 exterior design is the “billet milled” approach. For those who are unfamiliar, billet milled suggests that something was milled from a solid block of billet aluminum alloy and while the new F150 obviously isn’t carved from one big chunk of aluminum – that is the look that the designers were going for when recreating America’s bestselling vehicle. It is also a term which Ford uses with some regularity to describe the look of the newest F150.

To highlight the key styling features of the 2018 Ford F150, the Motor Company has broken the explanation down to 12 points. You can see 1-9 in the orange circles above while items 10, 11 and 12 are located out back – but you don’t need to see the back bumper to understand that it is made out of steel. Before, I have included the explanations from Ford for each of those highlighted points above.

1 – Chamfered hood and fenders styled for aerodynamics, while carrying forward Built Ford Tough DNA.
2 – New C-Clamp headlights and available quad-beam LED headlights – improved for nighttime visibility – extend the F-Series brand identity.
3 – Wide, billet milled horizontal grille design conveys strength.
4 – Authentic steel front bumpers are frame-mounted for toughness.
5 – Billet milled design defines high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body construction.
6 – Drop down front windows for greater visibility – honor F-Series design DNA.
7 – Edges pulled out to the corners add visual presence, support the billet milled design theme.
8 – Wide, all-season tires – available up to 22 inches in diameter – fill the wheel wells for a sure-footed look and feel.
9 – Body lines accelerate, meet with precision to convey quality construction.
10 – Accented fenders add visual muscle, highlight F-Series capability. (rear)
11 – Steel rear bumpers provide functionality and strength. (rear)
12 – F150 stamped into the tailgate on XL, XLT and Lariat models emphasizes tough, billet milled design. (rear)

“F-150 needs to look solid, confident and capable,” says Sean Tant, Ford design manager, truck studio. “All design elements need to have individual as well as collective strength. We wanted to continue with the billet-milled style introduced in 2015 while visually making the truck look wide and planted.”

In short, the 2018 Ford F150 has new body lines to give it a bolder, tougher look while the new LED headlights give it a premium, high tech look and improved visibility at night. The big wheel/tire packages provide a tougher look and improved functionality while the steel front and rear bumpers will prove to be more durable than the plastic fascia found on most new trucks.