An unusual high-tech kiosk arriving at Ford dealerships is helping launch the 2015 F-150.
The interactive display and sales tool with a 32-inch touch screen and a similar-size video display has begun to appear at Ford dealerships across the country, including those in the Kansas City area.
The idea is not to displace test drives but to give potential consumers an additional way to discover the F-150’s features and abilities.
“It’s a completely different approach,” said Christine Schick, a Ford spokeswoman.
The kiosk has a 3-D interactive display and below that the interactive touch screen. Besides showing the features and capabilities, it allows a comparison with full-size pickup trucks offered by competitors. The kiosk gives digital updates about the F-150 and lets users “create” their F-150 with the available powertrains and options.
The F-150 comes with an aluminum body, which along with other weight-saving features shaves roughly 700 pounds off the truck and helps boost fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the 2015 F-150 as having the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered full-size pickup truck.
Ford says the military-grade aluminum is tough and ding resistant. The kiosk aims to help prove that by displaying a piece of a aluminum rocker panel, which you can touch.
The 2015 F-150 has begun to be shipped to dealers from Ford’s plant in Dearborn, Mich. Supplies will grow early next year when the company’s Claycomo plant begins producing the pickup truck. The Claycomo plant also produces the Transit commercial van.
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