Ford 2015 F-150 to offer high-tech power rear window
Ford's redone 2015 F-150 is not just all about the most aggressive use of aluminum in a pickup body.
Among the other gee-whiz elements will be a high-tech, seamless power sliding rear window designed and made by supplier Magna International.
From the start of the new truck's development, Ford asked truck owners what they wanted from the glass that separates the cab from the open air of the bed.
"They said they wanted visibility, that it seals well when it is closed, but still able to open the center window and use the defog when it is open," said Noah Mass, Ford manager of body exterior mechanisms.
Ford set up a design competition among suppliers and Magna hit the jackpot with a single piece of glass with a power slider that meets all the criteria.
"The biggest thing was getting a seamless look with one piece of glass with a hole in it," said Troy Tooker, engineering manager at Magna's plant in Holland, Mich. "Appearance was a big deal."
The one-piece sealing technology also reduces cabin noise and keeps out dirt and water.
Another feature is a heating grid for defrosting the rear glass even when the window is open. That is not possible with current rear windows on pickups.
Ford is also putting a power sliding rear window in its new Transit full-size commercial wagon. But the seamless window debuts on the F-150.
"There are lots of discussions about where else we can use this," Mass said, including sunroofs.
The window is 4.5% lighter than the one it replaces. Because it is a single piece of glass with a single sealant, it is easier to assemble than the three-piece window it replaces because it has about half as many components, Tooker said.
Magna owns the intellectual property and has a patent on the heating grid. The phone has been ringing off the hook since Ford first showed the truck in January at the North American International Auto Show, Tooker said, but no further contracts with other automakers have been signed yet for the rear truck window.
The seamless sliding window will be about a $350 option on the XL and XLT packages. It will be standard on higher trim levels of the F-150. It is not available with a regular cab.
Ford expects the new design will be chosen by up to 40% of the new F-150 buyers, up from about 25% for the sliding window on the current truck, said Ford spokesman Mike Levine.
