The Ford F-150 range is reportedly set to grow with the introduction of a new performance-focused version that may be dubbed the ‘Lobo.’ This won’t be another version of the F-150 with improved off-road credentials and instead, may follow in the footsteps of the original F-150 Lightning built from 1993 to 1995 and 1999 to 2004. Unnamed sources claim that the new F-150 Lobo will be positioned as a unique trim level in the F-150 family and immediately be distinguished with a lowered ride height. It is also reportedly going to receive a “sinister and aggressive” visual overhaul.
Information about the truck comes courtesy
of Ford Authority but at this stage, it remains a mystery what could power the
model. One possibility is that it could be powered by either the 5.0-liter
naturally-aspirated V8 from Ford’s lineup of engines or the same 3.5-liter
twin-turbocharged V6 of the entry-level F-150 Raptor. Regardless of what engine
Ford chooses, the truck could serve as the ultimate homage to the lowered and
boosted pickups of the 1990s.
Then there’s the name. Lobo means ‘wolf’
in Spanish and Ford actually sells the F-150 pickup in Mexico as the Lobo. Ford
recently filed to trademark the F-150 Lobo name with the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, giving credence to the idea that this is what the next
version of the F-150 will be called in the U.S. This new version of the F-150
will reportedly launch after Ford lifts the veil on the 2024 F-150 at the
Detroit Auto Show next month. Given that this will simply be a mid-cycle
refresh, only minimal updates are expected to the range, including subtly
revised front and rear fascias.
