The new and improved Ford F-150 2021 debuted yesterday, bringing with it some features available in the full-size truck for the first time. Some of the highlights include an optional hybrid powertrain, which the company calls “PowerBoost,” a new 12.0-inch touchscreen, and Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 safety suite available as an option. But you may have missed this: Out of the F-150’s 13 trims, 11 of them have unique grille designs.
XL / XL chrome
The F-150 XL and XL Chrome are the entry-level versions of this truck, so expect both to have a relatively basic design. The vertical plastic slats and black inserts match the truck’s affordable behavior, and while there’s nothing wrong with this grill, it still looks good.
STX
The F-150 STX has a dimmer grille design in comparison, but it looks better. Instead of the vertical slats and black plastic inserts on the XL and XL Chrome models, the STX has a black mesh treatment around the Ford logo and body-color trim. That gives the truck’s grill a cleaner look, unlike the black plastic trim on both entry-level models.
XLT
The F-XLT is the first in the new F-150 range to get chrome. A chrome trim wraps around a basic black grille that looks just like the XL and XL Chrome base models. The interior of the grille is similarly treated in black plastic with vertical slats and horizontal accents to that found on entry-level models.
XLT Chrome
The F-150 XLT Chrome, you guessed it, gets even more chrome. Joining the chrome trim on the XLT model is a new horizontal insert that wraps around the Ford logo. Like the XLT, the XLT Chrome also has a new shiny finish on the underside of the bumper.
XLT Sport
The F-150 XLT Sport abandons chrome instead of a bronze trim and a full-width trim piece. The black plastic inserts are bigger, too, and the chrome accent on the bottom of the XLT and XLT Chrome disappears instead of a body-color finish.
Tie
The F-150 Lariat gets more luxuries than most of the above mentioned models, and that’s obvious from looking at the grill. The large piece of chrome finish, front and center, denotes the most exclusive appearance of Lariat. That feature extends the width of the grille and is combined with slim vertical slats behind, as well as more chrome on the front bumper.
Lariat Chrome
The F-150 Lariat Chrome gets the same horizontal insert as the traditional Lariat model, only now the vertical black blades are replaced with chrome blades. That added chrome gives the truck a more upscale look, and just like the traditional Lariat, the Chrome model also gets a shiny treatment down below the bumper.
Lariat Sport
The F-150 Lariat Sport loses all of the chrome from the other two Lariat models, rather than covering that large horizontal trim piece in a dark bronze finish. The vertical slats also go back to black, and the chrome feature on the bottom of the bumper now has a body-color finish.
King Ranch / King Ranch Chrome
The F-150 King Ranch and King Ranch Chrome have a unique grille design that instantly separates the two models from the rest of the range. There’s a gold-colored piece that extends the width of the grille, combined with matching gold inserts throughout. The only thing that separates the two trucks is the bottom of the bumper – the regular F-150 King Ranch gets a similar gold bumper, while the King Ranch Chrome has a shiny bumper.
Platinum
The F-150 Platinum uses the same grille design as the King Ranch and King Ranch Chrome models: a full-width bar and matching inserts. It only loses the unique golden color of those two models, changing it for a normal silver finish. The F-150 Platinum also has a lower bumper in body color.
Limited
The F-150 Limited has the most unique grille of all. Although it borrows the same full-width bar as the previous three versions, the Limited has a larger silver trim, unique silver vertical slats, and the word mark “LIMITED” on the top.
