Quebec City, QC – Since the reveal of the all-new 2015 Ford F-150, Ford has proudly claimed that it's the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever. A big statement for a company that uses the word “tough” in its truck slogans.

We've heard a lot about the new F-150's body frame made up of high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy.  It's well documented that it has helped to shed 700 pounds from its outgoing model and reduce fuel efficiency up to 20 per cent. However, the areas of improvement that seem to get lost in the buzz about aluminum might just be the most important aspects of the new truck. We're talking about best-in-class towing up to 12,200 pounds, best-in-class payload of up to 3,300 pounds, faster acceleration, improved handling, better braking and more advanced safety features.

We can hear about all of these new attributes from Ford and about its 49 straight years of being Canada's best-selling truck, but it makes more sense to prove it through real-life practical tests. And that's exactly what Ford Canada did by sending a group of journalists to Quebec City to thoroughly test the new F-150 in a series of activities that include: off-roading, handling, towing, payload and everyday highway and road driving.

These days, versatility in a truck is everything. Not only is it vital to perform heavy towing tasks; it's imperative to have the handling and agility of a smaller vehicle when driving around. After spending a few days with the big blue oval, I'm happy to say that its versatile nature shined.

Let's start with the off-roading adventure. The F-150 easily climbed a few steep hills, challenged itself to cross some elevated logs and finally made its way down some slopes via hill descent. This is not saying much, as it's expected from the F-150, but it was the ease of which it performed those tasks that opened my eyes. Never once did an adjustment or reverse occur showcasing the balance, steadiness and toughness that the F-150 possesses.

Next in line was the handling course. A completely different task that can be challenging for certain trucks. In the past, trucks are well known more for towing and payload before even gesturing the thought of weaving its way through a slalom course. But the times they are changing and the F-150 made beautiful 's' strokes in-between those pylons. The combination of grip between the all-wheel drive system and the replacement BF Goodrich KO2 tires were a match made in heaven. Currently, the OEM vary between seven different tires in the F-Series lineup, but we were treated to these more-than-capable KO2s that assisted to better grip and handling while conquering the icy and snow patches on the course.

Towing and payload are expected features for the F-150 and that's why Ford made sure they were class-leading. Ford Canada had set-up some practical tests around town that included hauling around a John Deere excavator and some machinery for close to maximum payload capacity. After driving around with both objects – it was incredible to see how little change was felt on the drive. Payload seemed to make no difference whatsoever without any additional weight felt in the back; while towing had me focused more on turns, but once again not much impact when driving straight.

No truck test is complete without some regular road driving. We might utilize these tools for tasks once in a while, but every truck owner deals with city and highway roads on a daily basis. Plenty of time was spent manoeuvring the F-150 around the streets of Quebec City and around those more than aggressive drivers. The F-150 blended into the crowd and kept up speed throughout acting more like an SUV than a truck. It stuck in its lane and forged ahead regardless of terrain becoming the all-around versatile beast that Ford enjoyed creating.

Not only is the all-new F-150 a better product, Ford made sure to assist its new and returning consumers with a more organized trim level offering that's easy to understand. Even with the reduction in trim levels from eight to five, consumers can still get a variety of offerings with each trim that includes your choice of chrome or sport – something that wasn't available throughout the lineup in the past. I know that I've looked at a pricing list of Ford F-150s in the past, and it's just too overwhelming. I don't even know how long the customer/sales process takes place at the dealership level due to the amount of choices. It's nice to see that the less is more argument holds true and will make both the customer and automaker happier in the end.

As much as we talk about the other more alluring features of the F-150, the excitement comes down to the many ways you can utilize its features. There are four engines to choose from including the 3.5-litre V6 Ti-VCT, 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost with auto start/stop technology, 3.6-litre V6 EcoBoost and the 5.0-litre V8 Ti-VCT. That leaves a broad spectrum of choice to find the right engine that best suits you. After that, it's all about enjoying the various capabilities of the beast incarnate.

Did the all-new F-150 hold true with its motto that its the tough, smart and most capable than any other previous  version? You better believe it. There's nothing in the exercises around Quebec City that placed it in a slow or incapable position. The F-150 performed admirably and showed the quickness and versatility that would please any new or returning truck lover. Additionally, these new F-150s have thicker panels for dent resistence and are naturally resistant to rust to keep that fun going without the need for repair. What's evident is the onus isn't on the F-150 to achieve those versatile activity stunts, but on the new owner to find time for said activities.