The Ford F-150 Lobo looms on the horizon in the U.S. After more than two decades of the nameplate’s success in Mexico, the Lobo could finally be headed to America as a performance truck, much like the late and great SVT Lightning. Well, if the latest rumors that Ford Authority reported on turn out to be true.
According to unnamed sources at Ford, a new model called the F-150 Lobo will debut along with the rest of the 2024 F-Series lineup. The F-150 is due for an update, and Ford has patented a number of model names that indicate new F-150 trucks are on the way; among these are the F-150 Thunder, F-150 Flash and F-150 Lobo. Ford has been selling a Lobo pickup in Mexico since 1997, using the nameplate to distinguish between its work models and upscale F-150 trucks.
Now that the Lightning badge has been usurped by the fully-electric version of the F-150, Ford needed a replacement for upcoming variants. Rumors say the U.S. market Lobo will be its own trim similar to the F-150 Tremor. But while the Tremor is off-road focused, the Lobo will reportedly be a performance pickup, according to Ford Authority:
[...] Now, sources say that the upcoming Lobo will be positioned as a very distinct part of the upcoming model range.
According to sources familiar with the new variant, the 2024 Ford F-150 Lobo will be its own trim, similar to how the Tremor is positioned in the F-150 lineup. Unlike that off-road oriented model, the Lobo will boast a lowered ride height. Additionally, the trim features a “sinister and aggressive” appearance [...]
Details about the 2024 Ford F-150 follow the company’s recent move to trademark F-150 Lobo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The new Lobo will feature small changes to the F-150 that Ford can cheaply install during assembly. The point is to offer more options in order to easily maximize profits from the F-150, which is a consistent best-seller for Ford. But if that means that my lifelong dream of a U.S. market Lobo will finally come true, then I’m all for it, even despite Ford’s cynical exercise.
I do hope, however, that the badge will be stamped in all caps, as that of the Mexican market trucks. It is highly unlikely the new truck will simply be called the Ford Lobo, as opposed to the F-150 Lobo, but that’s still a gnarly badge.
It’s unclear what the changes to the truck will comprise other than suspension tweaks and modified exterior design — in all likelihood needed to boost the F-150's aerodynamic performance. Neither is there any word on what engine will power the F-150 Lobo if it comes to market, but if the Lobo takes after the SVT Lightning, then a V8-powered Lobo could come to the U.S. as early as next year. And it had better be a single cab.
