DEARBORN, Mich., April 11, 2017 – The all-new Ford F-150 Raptor was named “Pickup Truck of the Year” in the 2017 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence awards.

Having evaluated all the competitors over the course of the year Popular Mechanics editors chose the all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor as the “vehicle that transcends the competition” across all classes of trucks.

“We have only nine categories covering the entire car market, so by design, winning isn’t easy,” said Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics automotive editor. “The Raptor is to a standard F-150 what Bruce Banner is to the Incredible Hulk. You can do 60 mph across terrain that would have most trucks smashing their oil pans at 30.”

The purpose-built, off-road F-150 Raptor builds on the success of its predecessor with performance gains and new technology. The all-new Raptor stands alone among high-performance off-road trucks, featuring a high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost^® engine generating 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, plus a segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission and six-mode Terrain Management System^™. Its high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body saves 500 pounds over the previous model.

The 2017 F-150 Raptor’s competition-proven chassis also sets the performance bar with its second-generation BF Goodrich KO2 tires designed exclusively for the truck’s extended off-road capabilities. In addition, upgraded FOX Shocks (jointly engineered by Ford Performance and FOX) are 44 percent larger with 3-inch diameter shock canisters (2.5-inch previously) and nine-stage bypass damping delivering improved suspension control. The new shock design enables an increase in suspension travel to 13-inches at the front and 13.9-inches at the rear (a 0.8-inch front and 1.9-inch rear increase in wheel travel compared to its predecessor).

Popular Mechanics Pickup Truck of the Year award is the latest in a series of accolades for the all-new F-150 Raptor, which was also named FOUR WHEELER’s Pickup Truck of the Year, Best Pickup of 2017 by Cars.com, the Autotrader Must Test Drive winner and The Fast Lane Truck Gold Hitch off-road award winner.

The recognition highlights Ford’s yearlong celebration of F-Series as best-selling truck in America for 40 consecutive years and best-selling vehicle in America for 35 consecutive years. Join the #40YearsTough celebration at www.40YearsTough.com.