2020 may be the Year of Bronco for Ford, but there’s another important Blue Oval icon coming next year, too. The Ford F-150’s continued strong sales are crucial for the company—and it’s being redesigned for the 2021 model year. Up until now, only a few heavily camouflaged testing mules have been spotted. However, designer TheSketchMonkey was recently able to use photos of the mules and the current truck’s design to create a 2021 Ford F-150 rendering.

What We Know So Far: 2021 Ford F-150 Design

Motor1, Car and Driver, and TFLNow have all managed to obtain spy shots of camo-covered 2021 F-150’s. Given the heavy disguise, not very many fine details can be determined.

However, the 2021 truck appears to be an evolution, rather than a complete re-think, of the current F-150 design. The lower part of the front door has a notch that the current F-Series also features. It appears to have vanished in a later video TFLNow obtained, but manufacturers installing false trim and body panels to test mules isn’t unheard of. That might explain the extended roof spoiler, too. Or, it could be trim designed to improve fuel efficiency.

No clear shots of the interior have been obtained so far. However, both Motor1 and Car and Driver are confident that Ford will upgrade the cabin’s materials and features. One of these improvements is allegedly a larger touchscreen display. The current-gen Ram 1500 has been heavily praised for its interior quality, and its sales come second only to the F-150 nameplate. Ford needs to improve to keep up. Not just in the interior, either.

What We Know So Far: 2021 Ford F-150 Mechanical Features

Consumer Reports found the current F-150’s ride to be harsh and unsettled. Unfortunately, the test mules haven’t revealed many mechanical details. Car and Driver has spotted two separate trucks with different wheel and tire combinations. Likely, a 22” wheel will be an optional upgrade. The 2021 F-150 also appears to have a solid rear axle, much like the current one—which doesn’t spell good news for the ride quality. However, the two trucks appeared to have differential rear differentials. The one on the larger-wheeled F-150 resembled the unit on the current F-150 Raptor.

No one has managed to peek under the camouflaged hoods. TFLNow’s towing video reveals nothing about the engine, either. However, there have been persistent rumors that Ford will replace the 5.0-liter V8 with a 4.8-liter replacement. Although smaller, the 4.8-liter V8 would allegedly develop 420 hp and 420 lb-ft; the 5.0-liter makes 395 hp and 400 lb-ft. A smaller, more powerful engine would improve the F-150’s payload and towing ratings, as well as acceleration and fuel efficiency.

2021 Ford F-150 Rendering

Designer TheSketchMonkey has made renderings and sketches for several automotive sites in the past, most notably Jalopnik and Motor1. He saw the camouflage and immediately wanted to strip it away. Using Photoshop, the spy shots, and the current F-150, he did just that.

Overall, his 2012 Ford F-150 rendering takes a lot of inspiration from past renderings of the Ford Bronco. TheSketchMonkey states in his video that he isn’t a “truck guy”, but he understands that truck styling is heavily focused on function. This is why he used styling cues from Bronco renderings.

At the moment, the 2021 Ford F-150 is still under wraps. And Ford has not yet commented on this rendering. But TheSketchMonkey’s work offers an exciting peek at the possible future.