F-150 chief engineer Matt O'Leary explained it differently: 'For some people, it's the difference between one trip or two.' And the second trip, even on a gas-sipping something or other, is not as efficient as one. For people who need trucks -- and there are enough people that pickups are the third largest market segment in America -- there is no workhorse substitute. But is it too much? Only 40 percent of Ford's F-150 drivers will occasionally use that kind of power. Why not use the V-8s under the F-150's hood (which Ford made 8 percent more efficient) and push out a pickup that gets 20-plus miles per gallon? No Playstation auto'It's not that simple,' O'Leary said. This is not like building a car on a Sony Playstation's 'Gran Turismo.' You can't drop a few points in the vehicle's power to raise its fuel economy. It may work in a video game, but real-life correlations are different. Ford, and anyone else for that matter, would love to have a pickup that hit 25 mpg on the highway. And the new F-150 shows improvements over the last generation. It's lighter by 100 pounds, uses more high-strength steel, mates all of the engines to a more efficient six-speed transmission, and has nifty technology inside. They include a deceleration fuel shut-off that turns off the gas when the truck is slowing down and an open-valve injection system that improves horsepower while lowering emissions. All of that helps eek out better numbers. Ford even introduced the F-150 SFE edition Thursday. The SFE, which stands for Superior Fuel Economy, will arrive next month along with all of Ford's top-selling trucks. O'Leary said as fuel prices began climbing earlier this year, Ford developed the two-wheel drive truck with low-rolling resistant tires for customers looking for higher mileage vehicles. Additional improvements were made to the SFE's aerodynamics. It will still have the ability to tow 7,500 pounds. The three-letter grouping, which sounds similar to General Motors Corp.'s 2009 XFE pickup (XFE stands for Extra Fuel Economy), was introduced in August. It hits 21 mpg on the highway, while obtaining 15 mpg in city driving. Doug Scott, Ford's truck marketing manager, added, 'We expect this to be nearly 20 percent of the mix in some markets.' 35 configurations offeredFord's fuel economy focus may help lure a few consumers, but many pickup buyers have grown accustomed to higher fuel costs, said Jack Nerad, a market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. 'Certainly it is a consideration, but I think what we saw in the market recently was a combination of things.' In addition to better fuel economy, Ford hopes adding content will lure customers back to the pickup segment. The new F-150, which will range in price from $21,320 for an XL to $44,860 for the all-new Platinum, comes loaded with choices. Ford will offer 35 different configurations, and most, Ford says, will offer more than $1,000 in additional content. Some new features include the side step that lets a person reach easily into the bed and a tailgate step taken from the Super Duty trucks. There is also Ford's Work Solutions -- a set of high-tech features ideal for contractors who need to lock up items in the bed, track trucks through a GPS system or find out quickly if tools are loaded in the back. There's also a new Platinum edition that will push premier luxury pickups to a new level of sophistication -- attempting to outclass the King Ranch, one of my most favorite trucks ever. But in the end, Ford has increased the capabilities of its trucks because it thinks that's what its customers want. Whether anyone needs to have the ability to tow something more than 13,000 pounds is beside the point. Overbuying is a pillar of the automotive industry. Pickup owners are a different breed. They are loyal and fierce and Ford has a good idea of what they want. Its F-Series has led the nation in sales for 31 years. So instead of lecturing customers, Ford listened. That's a lesson more of us could learn. Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected].