If there is one thing Ford is good at, it’s making money. Now, they’ve got another way to do it while also tapping into the red-hot off-road market. Welcome, everyone, to the new Ford F-150 Rattler. It’s the cheapest way to get into the F-150’s off-roading portfolio. Honestly, it rules.
It’s built off the F-150’s base “XL” trim, but includes a few features from the FX4 package – like skid plates, hill descent control, off-road shocks and most importantly: an electronic rear-locking differential. It’s all meant to make off-roading more accessible to those who can’t drop $70,000 or more on a higher trim F-150.
There’s no exact mention of it in the press release, but according to The Detroit News, the Rattler can be had with a number of engines, including a 2.7- or 3.5-liter V6, a 3.5-liter turbo V6 or a 5.0-liter V8.
The Rattler comes with several exterior cues to show off that it’s no average F-150 XL. You get painted 18-inch aluminum wheels, F-150 Rattler badges on fender vents, rattlesnake-inspired graphics (of course) and a dual exhaust system.
You’ve also got a slew of colors to choose from, including Oxford White, Avalanche (which is probably white), Iconic Silver, Carbonized Gray, Antimatter Blue, Stone Gray, Agate Black and Rapid Red TriCoat.
According to Car and Driver, the Rattler will only be available in SuperCab or SuperCrew guise.
“Our new F-150 Rattler offers aspiring adventurers an off-road option with expressive looks and capability in one package,” Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager, said. “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.”
Step inside the Rattler and you are greeted with Onyx black seats with bronze accents (to indicate toughness) as well as color matched stitching around the instrument panel. Other than that it’s pretty much your run-of-the-mill F-150.
Right now, there isn’t any work on what sort of pricing we can expect for the new Rattler. However, it’s safe to assume it’ll be a good bit cheaper than all other off-road focused F-150s.