Among a great many cars at this year’s New York Auto Show, there are a few very special and unique cases like the Hardman Label. This Ford F-150-based SUV features a body that we get the feeling Tesla CEO Elon Musk would be a big fan of. Underneath its angular skin, it aims to be a luxury vehicle with “dazzling” effects.
According to the fact sheet gathered at the show by my colleague Michael Gauthier, the Hardman is an off-road SUV “designed, developed, and manufactured in the United States.” That’s certainly true of the chassis and drivetrain it sits on, but there’s no indication of where specifically in the States, the design, development, or manufacturing of the custom body takes place.
Under the hood is a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which the makers of the Hardman say provides “better power and fuel efficiency, and more environmentally friendly emissions.” Of course, it also says that the Hardman weighs 5,778 pounds, or about 1,000 pounds more than a regular F-150 with the same engine. How those two statements add up we’re not certain.
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Photos Mike Gauthier/Carscoops
The interior of the Hardman looks pretty soft, as in, it looks luxurious – even if in a sort of Prince meets hearse kind of way. The dash appears to be identical to that of a regular F-150 and even includes a Ford logo on the steering wheel but the rich brown leather and wood trim is a nice touch.
All four seats are captain’s chairs but the rear ones feature what appears to be adjustable head support and perhaps even a reclining calf support. There’s a widescreen TV in the back which is another addition.
Is that wooden erection between the seats simply there because a designer got excited or could there be a control panel there? We don’t know.
In the very sparse promotional material provided by the company, the rear seats show a very different configuration. Nevertheless, the seating itself looks quite comfortable. We’d love to see what the cargo area looks like though. The maker says that the starting price of the Hardman Label is $198,000 but that may vary based on options or engine configuration.
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