In a world of increased mid-grade off-road competitors like the RAM Rebel and Chevy Z-71 Trail Boss, Ford has gotten the clue that FX4 isn’t cutting it anymore. In that way, they’ve dialed it up and offer us the 2021 F-150 Tremor.
Not a Raptor but well more than FX4, the new F-150 Tremor package offers a few ticks more off-road capability in terms of hardware than the FX4. Upgraded springs front and rear give Tremor an additional inch of suspension travel up front and 1.5-inches at the rear. Revised front hub knuckles are added along with off-road tuned shocks that have a softer damping characteristic.
Most visible are some meaty 33-inch all-terrain tires and matte-finish 18-inch wheels. The tire and wheel upgrade contribute to additional ground clearance and a 1-inch wider stance. Up front under the bumper is also a new skid plate.
Functionality is bettered with an improved approach angle of 27.6 degrees, a break-over angle of 21.2 degrees and departure angle of 24.3 degrees. Traction is also bolstered with a standard front and rear locking differential. Later in 2021 you can also option a Torsen limited-slip.
Visual cues include a unique front grille with blacked-out Ford oval and orange accents and front recovery hooks. Raptor-like off-road fixed running boards and a cutout rear bumper are added along with the tips of a high-flow dual exhaust. Badging all around is orange for extra pop.
The cabin also gets the orange glow with lots of detail and accents. There’s the expected unique seat trim, accent stitching, and finishes for the dash, center console and doors which set the Tremor apart from the rest.
You can option the 360-degree camera package which gives you virtual off-road spotting capability with an in-cabin view around the truck and a front-view camera provides a virtual tire track overlay very much like that found in the Raptor.
Available is the off-road software hardware program known as Offroad Trail One-Pedal Drive. This assists rock crawling and driving in extreme traction conditions by controlling all metrics via just the throttle pedal for forward motion and braking. Also optional is Trail Turn Assist that can tighten your turning radius in tight situations by applying brakes to the inside rear wheel.
You do get standard however the full suite of traction toys that enable you to set cruise control at slow speeds for off-roading, the entire gambit of drive modes and aids like Hill Descent Control, all of which comes with the Raptor.
Choice is limited in some ways however. Tremor is only available on mid to high-level trim grades of the SuperCrew cab configuration. You can only have a 5.5-foot bed and a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine with its 10-speed automatic transmission. Upper trim grades to get the torque-on-demand transfer case similar to the one found in the Raptor.
While off-road tuning usually means a lot less in conventional capabilities, the F-150 Tremor still has a maximum tow rating of 10,900 pounds and maximum payload rating of 1,885 pounds. The F-150 Tremor will be available in summer 2021.
