Sneak Peek At 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat Trim Interior

2021 Ford F-150 interior photo shows updates to Lariat trim. Large touchscreen, new shift knob, two-tone leather are highlights.

There’s been plenty of spy shots of the new 2021 Ford F-150. We know pretty solidly, what the exterior will look like. We still don’t know when the 14th-generation F-Series will be released, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But, thanks to the website f150gen14.com we now see what the interior of the 2021 F-150 will look like. The site just leaked some uncamouflaged interior photos of the Lariat trim. The Lariat trim is the middle-tier level trim for the F-150.

What we see is an updated attractive interior that steps up from the current generation F-150 Lariat to a much bigger screen and digital gauges and a new shift knob. It’s important to realize that often photos like these represent prototypes and not production-level interiors. But even if that’s the case most of what we see here is exciting.

I postulated earlier this year that the new 2021 F-150 would get a large touchscreen ranging in size from 12-15 inches. From these spy photos that’s at least a 12.3-inch touchscreen with a lot of new digital gauges.

However, visible in these spy photos is clearly Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system. I’m chalking it up to being a prototype and that Ford most assuredly will put their newest and latest infotainment system in the next-gen F-150. Ford already announced the Mustang Mach-E will get Sync 4, so why wouldn’t their best-selling nameplate also get it? Let’s assume it will.

The attractive gear shift knob shows a high-quality build. And it’s still a regular shifter, and not the turn-dial shifter found in other Ford vehicles. Personally I like having the shift knob in my hand. It just gives a great feel and makes you more engaged with driving.

Plus, there have been several issues pertaining to these transmissions over the last couple years, so let’s hope that Ford has resolved these issues which I recently wrote about. Many of these are quite minor or are build related and not engineering flaws. Pretty typical stuff for most car manufacturers, to be honest.

There appears to be a button that will stow away the shifter for a more convenient location and if that’s the case, that’s a nice, small touch that will be appreciated.

The Lariat tag pictured has embossed leather with Ford-specific rivets attaching it. Again, this is a small touch, but is quite nice and adds a simple, yet elegant look.

What We Know About the 2021 Ford F-150
As reported earlier this week, we now know the engines that will be available on the 2021 Ford F-150. There will be six engine options, including five carry overs from the current generation. What’s new will be a hybrid engine. That’s been widely reported on, but we now know that the hybrid powertrain will incorporate a 3.5-liter gas engine with electric assist battery-powered motor.

We also know what some of the new colors will be for the 2021 Ford F-150. All totaled there will be 15 color palettes available for the 2021 F-150 including a new dark blue named Antimatter Blue Metallic. Gone is the popular Magma Red as well.

Additionally, the 2021 F-150 is believed to receive the aforementioned Sync 4 system. Although not pictured in these spy photos, it’s still believed it will have the new infotainment system which has many new technological advances.

On all-new available 12-inch screens, multi-tasking will be enabled by splitting the screen into larger and smaller windows. For example, if a customer wants to keep their navigation route on the screen while changing songs, they can choose to display the radio or other streaming music services in the smaller display area. Customers will be able to quickly scroll through nine different features to display as Information on Demand, making SYNC 4 easier to use.

Once we all get through this tough economic time dealing with the pandemic, of which Ford has been an amazing corporate citizen, the focus will switch to the 2021 Ford F-150 and also the new Ford Bronco models. From what I’ve seen, Ford is on the right path for making the 14th-Generation F-150 amazing.

So what do you think of the Lariat trim on the 2021 F-150? Is it fancy enough? Is there enough new about it to excite you? Leave me 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.