Cutting weight can be one of the most effective tactics to increase fuel economy, but it doesn't necessarily come cheap. The 2015 Ford F-150 pickup, with its aluminum body and bed mounted on a conventional steel frame, represents a huge gamble by Ford on its highest-volume vehicle line.
The company says that some models of the full-size pickup are as much as 700 pounds lighter than their steel counterparts, allowing it to fit smaller EcoBoost engines. But one question about the aluminum F-150--its ability to protect its occupants as well as a conventional steel body during crashes--can probably be laid to rest.
The 2015 F-150 SuperCrew model has received the highest 5-Star score for Overall Safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA.
2015 Ford F-150 aluminum body shell
Along with the ratings and Top Safety Pick designations from the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the NHTSA's ratings are heavily scrutinized by buyers.
Achieving anything other than a four- or five-star rating can affect a vehicle's chances of sales success, and so it was unlikely that Ford's newest F-150 would get anything other than a top score.
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