There’s no debating that the F-150 is a linchpin for the Ford Motor Company. Here in Saskatchewan, in the heart of the prairies, pick up trucks sell faster then anything else – and it’s a pretty big gap. When the best selling vehicle in all of Canada, the F-150, makes some noise announcing a new concept like the Atlas, it makes everyone step back and take a look. If you’re like me, when you look at the Atlas, you REALLY like what you see!

For decades that the new Ford F-150 has been the best selling truck in Canada. Ford’s ability to make smart decisions, like the choice to put a turbocharged 6 cylender engines into trucks (EcoBoost) which quickly became the hottest selling must have here at Capital Ford. At that time it seemed risky and we all thought, “Who’s going to drive a 6 cylinder on the prairies?” Once you actually drive one – there’s no questions, just smiles!

The new Atlas is proposed to introduce the next-generation EcoBoost powertrain, with auto start-stop engine shutoff looking to maximize fuel economy. These trucks are made to work and are smart enough to not engage the auto on-off when towing and working.

The Atlas is promising never before seen features. One that I see as an AMAZING feature is hidden cargo ramps. You can’t load a quad, snowblower or sled into the back of your truck without them, so why not build them in? Well played Ford!

The Atlas is suggested to come with a 360 degree point of view camera to give you a birds eye view, helping you squeeze into tight spaces or avoid nearby obstacles. LED lights in the cargo box, dynamic hitch assist, trailer backup assist, power running boards and a whole host of amazing technical features. My favorite tech features have to be active wheel shutters, active grille shutters and drop down front air dam helping to control air flow all over the place and truly, once and for all, eliminating the need to EVER zip tie a piece of cardboard onto the fron end.

All in all it’s amazing to see what the designers and engineers at Ford have up their sleeves. You can count on giving this concept some attention to watch when it will be coming to our showroom and if some of these great features will be released on the 2014 F-150 models. It seems like the best selling truck can count on keeping it’s reign!

BONUS Atlas F-150 Coverage

If you’d like to see 65 of the coolest features, click here for the PDF download.