The next generation of Ford F-150 is going to have a huge touchscreen infotainment system, according to sources within Ford.
It’s becoming a battle of the touchscreens. Ram revealed their massive new 12-inch Uconnect system on the 2019 Ram 1500, and it's credited with giving Ram the number two spot in the pickup charts, vaulting ahead of the Chevy Silverado and eating into Ford’s commanding lead.
Ford isn’t one to give ground easily, however, and so the Blue Oval is planning on firing back at Ram with a huge touchscreen of their own.
According to sources within Ford (and speaking to Bloomberg), the next-gen F-150 is going to have an infotainment and navigation screen that’s at least 50% larger than the current 8-inch model and will match or surpass the Ram 1500’s screen. It will display in landscape (as opposed to the Ram’s portrait-style touchscreen) and will simultaneously display multiple functions at once, such maps and music.
Other than that, we have some likely conjectures. As with most vehicles, we suspect the 12-inch screen will be a standard feature on the more premium F-150 trims such as Lariat and Platinum, while lower trims will have it as an available extra. It will likely be at least high-def, and might even take on Tesla with a few fun extras like YouTube or Netflix streaming (while parked, of course).
Ford's current largest screen can be found in the Explorer SUV at 10.1-inches and is vertically oriented. Most other vehicles feature either a 7 or 8-inch touchscreen, which has been the industry standard for years. However, as with all things in the pickup market, bigger is better and major manufacturers are all moving to screens that put even an I-Pad to shame.
Ford is also wary of Ram catching up to their number one spot. The F-150 is the most profitable vehicle Ford makes, with some higher-end trims topping $100,000. A larger touchscreen is likely to be seen by wealthy truck buyers as a welcome move and may even convince some wayward former Ford fans to return to the Blue Oval.