General Motors, the largest USA automaker and the third biggest in the world, has recently showcased on the web a commercial that takes a direct swing at Ford and its cost, as well as overall speed of doing repairs to the Blue Oval’s best-selling pickup truck.
Advertisement
Chevy’s tweak could prod Ford into talking more about aluminum, a move it has shied away from so far amid reports about higher collision-repair costs, for example.
First the bowtie brand trademarked the name “Camaro Krypton”, and now it’s once again invoking Man of Steel imagery with a superhero of its own: Almighty Aluminum Man. As expected, the group’s members are not fans of the superhero, and point out that there are other metals, such as platinum and zinc, that are sturdier than aluminum.
While we explored why Chevrolet would poke fun at aluminum usage earlier (especially considering the Silverado’s engine uses the material) we’re here to highlight another ad from the recent portion of “Real People, Not Actors” ad campaign. Each of Ford’s two factories – which normally run nearly around the clock – were down for about 12 weeks in total.
GM’s steel-bodied, diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will crash through the 30-mpg barrier when they debut later this year, promises Jeff Luke, chief engineer for midsize and full-size trucks. But, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the new-for-2015 F-150 has aluminum body panels, not steel like the old truck.
The Ford F-150 pickup truck is America’s top-selling vehicle. Thousands have participated in the program, which includes tooling upgrades that will cost between $30,000 and $50,000.
Both versions of the F-150 are good trucks, but Consumer Reports says that they’re not the best.
Meanwhile, sales of the Silverado rose 18.4% to 275,822. Sales of the F-series truck – the most popular vehicle in the USA – fell 8.9% to 357,180 units for the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2014.
Before the ranting starts, we must highlight that aluminum alloys don’t only shed the curb weight of the light-duty F-Series, but also provide more rigidity and resistance to rust. And its new aluminum body brings a lot of benefits. GM and Ford are in a royal battle for market share and image in the lucrative pickup segment, and the gloves are off. Those new Chevy ads are created to sow maximum doubt in the minds of buyers.
Advertisement
The battle between the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado is headed for a cage match.
