“Radical.”
That’s how Ford’s new F-150 truck is being described after the redesigned 2015 model was unveiled at the Detroit auto show on Monday. And besides calling it “radical,” the Associated Press is also saying it’s the talk of the show.
So what’s so radical? The auto-maker shaved 700 pounds off the truck by making it the first to be made mostly out of aluminum:
Ford Motor Co. unveiled the 2015 F-150, whose body is 97-percent aluminum, on Monday. The lighter material shaves as much as 700 pounds off the 5,000-pound truck, a revolutionary change for a vehicle known for its heft and an industry still reliant on steel. No other vehicle on the market contains this much aluminum.
The change is Ford’s response to small-business owners’ desire for a more fuel-efficient and nimble truck – and stricter government requirements on fuel economy. It sprang from a challenge by Ford’s CEO to move beyond the traditional design for a full-size pickup.
See it for yourself:

    NEW FORD F-150

  • The Associated Press
    Trick roper Ketch Weaver, of Buffalo, Texas, pulls back the cover to unveil the new steel frame, aluminum-alloy body Ford F150 at Gilley's in downtown Dallas, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. The truck features a 360 degree camera view, integrated loading ramps stowed in the truck bed, 400-watt power outlets inside the cab, LED headlights and side view mirror spotlights and remote tailgate release. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES.
  • The Associated Press
    Ford Motor Co. executive director of North American product engineering Frank Davis unveils the new steel frame, aluminum-alloy body F150 at Gilley's in downtown Dallas, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. The truck features a 360 degree camera view, integrated loading ramps stowed in the truck bed, 400-watt power outlets inside the cab, LED headlights and side view mirror spotlights and remote tailgate release. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES.
  • The Associated Press
    The interior of the newly unveiled steel frame, aluminum-alloy body Ford F150 is photographed at Gilley's in downtown Dallas, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. The truck features a 360 degree camera view, integrated loading ramps stowed in the truck bed, 400-watt power outlets inside the cab, LED headlights and side view mirror spotlights and remote tailgate release. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES.
  • The Associated Press
    Ford unveils the new F-150 with a body built almost entirely out of aluminum. at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
  • The Associated Press
    Journalists surround the new F-150 with a body built almost entirely out of aluminum at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
  • The Associated Press
    This undated photo provided by Ford shows the company's new 2015 F-150 pickup truck. On Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, Ford unveils a new F-150 built almost entirely out of aluminum. The lighter material, which shaves as much as 700 pounds off the truck, will save fuel and make the truck more nimble without sacrificing power, Ford says. (AP Photo/Ford)
  • Getty Images
    The new Ford F150 is introduced at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Geoff Robins
  • Getty Images
    DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 13: Ford introduces the new F-150 pickup truck at the North American International Auto Show on January 13, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The auto show opens to the public January 18-26.
“It’s a landmark moment for the full-size pickup truck,” Jack Nerad, editorial director for Kelley Blue Book, told the AP.
Still, there is some skepticism.
“Trucks are put to such hard use. They take bangs and dings and a lot of hard use,” Nerad added. “We’ll see how the use of lightweight aluminum plays out in the field.”
Judging by first impressions, however, the truck will at least get a shot at proving itself.