Ford F-150 shoppers have several off-road-oriented choices, but even the least expensive of them is not exactly inexpensive. The F-150 Tremor starts just a touch under $50,000. The legendary F-150 Raptor, if you want the ultimate off-road truck, approaches $70,000.
That leaves an opening — buyers who need a truck for the trails but can’t afford to splurge like that. For them, Ford has a new answer: The 2023 F-150 Rattler.
A caveat — we don’t actually know the price of the Rattler yet. Ford revealed everything else about the truck this morning. But it’s based on the entry-level F-150 XL trim, which starts at $29,290 (before the mandatory $1,695 destination charge Ford charges on all full-size trucks). The Rattler is likely to come closer to that figure than to Ford’s other trail trucks.
With the Rattler, you’ll get equipment from the FX4 package like an electronic locking rear differential, a full set of skid plates, all-terrain tires, hill descent control, and off-road shock absorbers.
Specific engine choices on the F-150 are to be announced. Currently, though, XL models with the FX4 package require at least Ford’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost turbo V6 engine over the base 3.3-liter V6. On the current XL build configurator, Ford’s venerable 5.0-liter V8 is also available.
Outside, the Rattler gets distinctive badges, scratch-resistant black plastic grille and bumper covers, rattlesnake-pattern decals, and dual exhaust. Inside, the cloth inserts wear a snake scale pattern, and bronze accents decorate the dash.
The F-150 Rattler is available in a crew cab configuration with a 5.5-foot bed or an extended cab with a 6.5-foot bed. The Rattler goes on sale in late fall. We expect to learn pricing this spring.
