Back in 2022, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that The Blue Oval’s internal combustion engine-powered lineup had gotten too complex, prompting the automaker to trim the options offered on its gasoline-burning vehicles. However, since then, Ford seems to have reversed course. Take the 2026 Ford F-150, for example, which gets rear-wheel-drive (RWD) – or 4X2 – for certain trims that didn’t previously offer it.
According to sources familiar with the matter, three 2026 Ford F-150 trims now offer RWD, including Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum. For the 2025 model year, these three trims were exclusively offered with four-wheel-drive (4WD), but can now be had with either drivetrain option. Note that RWD is only offered on the 2026 Ford F-150 Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum in conjunction with the 5.5-foot box.
Otherwise, the 2026 Ford F-150 soldiers on largely unchanged. Three new colors – Avalanche, Argon Blue Metallic, and Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat – are joining the exterior color lineup at the cost of three others that were previously available on the pickup. The XLT trim gets the XLT Chrome Package for the first time, while the entire lineup can be had with the new Ford Connectivity Package, with a one-year free trial offered up and a seven-year one-time purchase option available.
The pickup also gains the Platinum Satin Appearance Package, along with three new equipment groups across three different trim levels, gaining the King Ranch 600A, Platinum 700A, and Tremor 402B, bundling different equipment for each trim. The 600A and 700A equipment groups are positioned as more affordable variants of the King Ranch and Platinum models, while the 402B is a more mid-grade package for the off-road-oriented Tremor trim.
Interestingly, the 2026 Ford F-150 isn’t the only pickup in The Blue Oval’s lineup to get changes to its drivetrain lineup. The 2026 Ford Super Duty lost standard 4WD on two of its trims, pivoting to standard RWD instead.
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