If it looks this good, you can wear white after Labour Day.
When Ford announced the re-design for the 2021 F-150 a year ago in June of 2020, my first thought immediately was, “What on earth is ROUSH going to do with this?” While it looks rather similar, over 90% of the truck is brand new, and the company didn’t have a ton of time for R&D, and with COVID, working conditions are exceptionally more difficult to get people together and collaborate. But, against all odds, they pulled through. Recently our ROUSH representative stopped by to see us, and so we could check out this new-breed beast.
45 years prior to the announcement, we saw the official launch of the F-150. Slotting in between the F-100 and F-250, the F-150 filled a niche that helped Ford handle the newer, stringent emissions regulations in the 1970’s. Fast forward to 2021 and we’re about get the newest edition of Ford’s best-selling vehicle. As is tradition, ROUSH has seen fit to take the truck to the next level. So, lets dive into the 2021 ROUSH F-150.
Alright, so what did they change on the outside?
Well, more than usual this time around. The bold, loud, ROUSH emblazoned grill still stands out on the nose. Featuring the larger-than-life ROUSH wordmark, the grill now features some additional amber lights in the upper part of the grill. The front bumper remains mostly untouched from the factory Ford set up with the exception of a large opening for optimized airflow. The vehicle we saw was equipped with the ROUSH graphics package. A welcome update to their older style graphics. Enhanced design and subtlety still indicate that you’re not in a normal F-150, but the truck doesn’t announce it loudly until you step on the gas. Graphics include black striping along the bottom of the door line, twin accents on the hood, and the ROUSH wordmark at the roofline where it meets the glass.
The biggest change, perhaps, is to the fenders. Typically on the F-series, ROUSH would go with our all-time favourite textured black fender flares. This time around, they decided to go real big body. I don’t think we can consider these “just flares”, I think we’re nearing the wide body-kit territory. Extending from the bottom of the truck to just under the upper body-line, these new flares add some additional heft to the appearance of the truck. Looking tougher and more athletic, simultaneously. Perhaps of greatest importance, they do away with the current Ford fender vent. Polarizing, at best, that design is updated with new, functional ROUSH heat extractors. Always nice to have some function with your form.
The new fender vents are a welcome change.
Well, that’s all well and good, but how does it sound?
Come on, you know better than to ask that. It’s a ROUSH. Of course it’s loud and it sounds great. This one, however, has a little trick up the sleeve. This one comes packed with the ROUSH active-exhaust. Featuring an on/off switch in the cabin, you’ll be able to control whether or not you want to wake the dead or let your neighbours sleep in on Saturday. Listen, we all love loud cars, but sometimes you have to be subdued. Sometimes it’s not worth the disappointed looks from parents when you’re picking someone up for the first date. The active exhaust is, in my opinion, non-negotiable. Just makes life easier all around.
On the other side of the switch is a stainless-steel exhaust. With all the ROUSH experience on making exhausts, you already know what to expect. Loud, with exceptional tone, and zero drone. Your grabbers will make more noise than your exhaust when steady cruising. Next.
Gotta love that signature nameplate on the exhaust tip.
Exterior, cool. Sound, great. But what about where I spend my time in the truck?
You better believe this has been addressed. ROUSH offers the F-150 with two different options for the interior. Both interiors come equipped with ROUSH gauges, ROUSH dash plaque, and brushed aluminum trim. By selecting the additional leather interior option, you get bespoke ROUSH premium-leather seats. The ROUSH wordmark is stitched into the headrest, and the R logo tag is on the seat. ROUSH states that these seats were designed with all the functions of the F-150 in mind, so seat heaters, airbags, passenger sensors, etc. all function the exact same way. The seats come in pure black on Lariat trucks and two-tone grey/black on the XLT trucks.
ROUSH interiors, while never bad, have been a bit of a blindspot in the past. It’s really nice to see them knock it out of the park on this one. There’s also an optional package that provides you with a steel ROUSH combination lock vault in the front storage area, and a ROUSH Off-Road kit. The kit includes jumper cables, tow straps and D-ring hooks, some ratch straps, gloves, and other amenities. A nice little addition, but I can’t help but think that off-road kit really should just come standard with the truck.
Each truck has an individual serial number plaque inside.
Alright man, please, can you just tell me about performance? I’ve been waiting.
Alright, a little patience goes a long way. Being that this is the launch of the F-150, there is no supercharger to be found here. Outside of the standard fare (intake, exhaust, tune) you won’t find any significant changes to performance from an engine standpoint. What you will find, however, is that ROUSH has paid massive attention to the handling and off-road capability. Equipped with the most recent iteration of the ROUSH x FOX partnership, the FOX 2.0 suspension levels the truck nicely and provides plenty of control both on and off road.
A brand-new set of ROUSH designed wheels plant the truck to the ground. Flow-formed wheels bring great strength while lightening the load a little bit. The design of the wheels is a nice touch, sharing some of the newer style design language found on the Ranger wheels. Finished in a deep, dark bronze colour, the wheels stand out wonderfully against the white body of the truck. Wrapped in all-time favourite Grabbers, they finish off the overall aggressive aesthetic of the truck.
Losing un-sprung weight is a bonus for any vehicle. Contributing to better handling, better ride, and overall better performance. So having some lighter, but still strong wheels is a great touch to add to the overall package.
While we can’t wait to see what comes down the pipeline in the form of a supercharged variant, there’s nothing stopping you from picking up this truck and adding a blower later on. Ultimately, this is a complete package truck. It’s exceptionally comfortable for making moves around town, looks classy enough to take to dinner, and has that tough, ruggedness you’ve come to expect. In a lot of ways, it’s a compromise without compromising. ROUSH has put their focus into making their best version of the F-150 to date. And I think they’ve succeeded. Something that you can take through the bog, but still show up to your in-laws in, and it does both equally well. The real question becomes what we can expect to see from them on the F-150 Lightning. There’s still nothing really on that front that we’ve heard yet, but I’d be shocked if they aren’t going to go big. The aftermarket world has been pulling some pretty impressive numbers out of all manner of full-electrics, so we’re excited to see what the braintrust at ROUSH pulls off.