The 2009 Ford F-150 features a new exterior highlighted by a three-bar grille and a more spacious, flexible, and refined interior. It also offers a choice of cab styles and trim levels — including a new Platinum series that redefines truck luxury.

A new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis is the vehicle’s backbone that allows it to deliver more horsepower, better fuel economy and safety, and additional towing and payload capacity.

In all, more than 1,000 Ford engineers, designers, researchers, and others worked together to develop the new 2009 F-150. The team drew inspiration by listening to Ford’s large customer base.

“Before we started working on the new truck, we continued the conversation with people who use these trucks every day for work and play,” said Matt O’Leary, chief engineer of the 2009 F-150. “We went to their ranches, their job sites, and their homes, making sure we crafted features that would improve their ownership experiences and, really, their lives.”

The new 2009 F-150 rolls off assembly lines at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo., and goes on sale this fall.

Under the hood, the new F-150 will be powered by three V-8 engines, mated to either a 4-speed or a new fuel-efficient 6-speed automatic transmission. This all-V-8 engine lineup delivers a fleet-average 1 mpg improvement in fuel economy versus the outgoing F-150. Diesel and EcoBoost gas turbo direct injection engines are planned for F-150 in 2010 as well.