Leaked Video Reveals Best Look At 2021 Ford F-150 And Hints That Hybrid F-150 Will Achieve More Than 20 MPG

Once again our friends at the outstanding forum f150gen14.com put up a leaked photo of a 2021 Ford F-150 Limited with PowerBoost engine and lots of new features, including the fold flat seat and the flat work surface. The video appears to be taken inside the production facility where the 2021 F-150 is being built.

It seems to be a display unit, which may also indicate it’s a prototype only. But nevertheless, the video gives us a great look at the Limited trim which includes the much talked-about fold flat seat as well as the flat work surface.

The video gives an outstanding demonstration of how the gear shift easily and quickly drops down to allow for the work surface to fold on top of it. This feature has been one of the most talked new features on the 14th-generation F-150.

Last week I reported on how many of these trucks with that work surface feature were looking at delays, so it was nice to see this showcased here and offers hope that maybe there won’t be much of a delay. To be honest, it didn’t look overly complicated mechanically so a delay seems unreasonable.

Watch the full video of this Limited Ford F-150 below, and again thanks to f150gen14 for the video leak.

Fuel Economy Numbers For 2021 Ford F-150
It’s important to note EPA testing has not been concluded and Ford has not released any of the fuel economy figures for any of the 2021 Ford F-150 trucks.

However, in the video, someone who is not identified, but is clearly functioning as a spokesperson and someone who is in the know, shows off the PowerBoost engine and proclaims it capable of going 700 miles on a tank of gas. He then says it’s a 30 gallon tank. So, basic math shows an average of just over 23 mpg if this were true.

Another forum poster on F150gen14 posted some speculative fuel economy numbers overall based upon inventory he saw. The estimated fuel economy on the inventory he saw was:
18 City/ 23 Hwy 4x4 3.5L Platinum
20 City/ 26 Hwy 4x2 2.7L Lariat
19 City/ 24 Hwy 4x4 2.7L XLT
20 City/ 24 Hwy 4x2 3.3L XL
24 City/ 24 Hwy 4x4 3.5L Hybrid King Ranch
24 City/ 24 Hwy 4x4 3.5L Hybrid XLT
17 City/ 24 Hwy 4x2 5.0L V8 XLT

These are all unofficial numbers.

Ford has already proclaimed the hybrid F-150 will be the most powerful and most fuel-efficient truck, and that seems to be the case if it can average north of 20 mpg. The full hybrid powertrain is the most powerful engine in the all-new F-150 lineup, delivering 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft. of torque.

I did a complete story, with video on the rigorous testing Ford engineers put the hybrid F-150 through at their proving grounds. Read that story here.

Massaging Seats In Limited Trim of 2021 Ford F-150
Another tidbit that was revealed in that video was that the unofficial spokesperson said that the max recline seats also have a massaging aspect. If so, that’s new information that I hadn’t read about yet from Ford.

This isn’t new altogether for Ford as the higher trim F-150s came equipped with Multicontour seats with active motion (601a package), but we knew that the Max Recline Seats were available exclusively on the King Ranch, Platinum and Limited models. It now appears that not only will they recline all the way back (driver and front passenger), but that they will also include a massaging aspect.

According to the Ford Price Configurator, the Max Recline Driver and Passenger Seat only costs $340 more, and is available on the three mentioned trims.

2021 Ford F-150 payload
The 2021 F-150 is built on a fully boxed high-strength steel frame with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body and box. When equipped with the proven available 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and Max Trailer Tow Package, F-150 is rated for more conventional towing than any light-duty full-size pickup – a maximum 14,000 pounds, a gain of 800 pounds over the 2020 model.

PowerBoost full hybrid trucks are rated at a maximum of 12,700 pounds of conventional towing – the most towing ever offered by any full hybrid pickup. Maximum payload increases to 3,325 pounds – more than 1,000 pounds over F-150’s closest full-size light-duty competitor – with gains across most trim levels and configurations. PowerBoost-equipped trucks debut with a maximum payload of 2,120 pounds for the Crew Cab 4x2 model with 6.5-foot box.

The hybrid F-150 sees a lower payload due to the size of the batteries.

I want to know how much of a factor fuel economy is to you. Does the average truck consumer really care about saving a few trips to refuel? The push back I always hear is they want V8s and they are opposed to hybrids and EVs, so that tells me that fuel economy is not a factor. But let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.