Ford Unveils Rattler, Aimed At Entry-Level Off-Roading Crowd

Here's a funny coincidence – or maybe it isn't so funny. It's more schizophrenic. Look at Ford's vehicle fleet and future planning, and what do you see.

Ford Offers Wide Range Of Options

You see an automaker that does not only offer a wide range of conventional internal-combustion-driven vehicles while, at the same time, offering some of the top electrics on the market. Torque News this week reviewed a pre-production version of the Mustang Mach-E. The reviewer loved the vehicle please take a look here for the review. It is an example of the electric side of the automaker. There's also the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, Ford's first electric SUV.

There is a mix of pickups, SUVs, and cars on the house's internal combustion (IC) side. For example, the Ford brand offers other Mustangs, the Mustang Mach 1 and the GT-500, iconic vehicles driven by Ford V-8 engines. On the truck side of the ledger, Ford plans to offer its electric F-150 Lightning pickup this spring while it continues to offer the top-selling pickup.

Indeed, several incredibly popular internal-combustion-engine driven F-150 models include the Raptor, the Tremor, the Lariat, and XLT, in several body styles, two-door and four-door. By the way, the Raptor and Tremor are for the offroad crowd.

Expanded Off-Road Option

This week, the automaker expanded the number of vehicles aimed at the offroad crowd. Ford introduced the F-150 Rattler as its 2023 F-150 lineup as the entry-level edition. The Rattler's audience is the beginning off-road crowd. It is for adventure-seeking customers looking for a stylish truck with standard four-wheel drive for exceptional off-road capability.

"Our new F-150 Rattler offers aspiring adventurers an off-road option with expressive looks and capability in one package," said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. "This truck builds off the F-150 off-road legacy while allowing us to introduce new customers to the right blend of styling and value in the F-150 lineup."

Ford based the F-150 Rattler on its automaker's base XL series. The Rattler features FX4 content. The FX4 package includes skid plates to help ensure Built Ford Tough protection for a confident off-road experience, electronic rear-locking differential for enhanced traction, hill descent control for precision throttle, and braking on steep descents, and specially tuned off-road shock absorbers for increased stability over challenging terrain. In addition, F-150 Rattler features rugged all-terrain tires for versatility and capability.

Rattler Features Distinctive Looks

Distinctive looks reflect the capabilities of the F-150 Rattler package, with a dual-exhaust system that combines aggressive styling with a bold sound, plus painted 18-inch aluminum wheels that add to the truck's solid, sporty stance. F-150 Rattler badging on the fender vents and rattlesnake-inspired graphics amplify its unmistakable appearance.

Onyx seats featuring burnished bronze accents and impeccable stitching match the trim on the instrument panel to create a unique interior in keeping with the desert-inspired theme of the new F-150 Rattler. Exterior colors include Oxford White, Avalanche, Iconic Silver, Carbonized Gray, Antimatter Blue, Stone Gray, Agate Black, and Rapid Red Tri-Coat. The 2023 F-150 Rattler goes on sale this fall.

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.