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I’D TAKEN a wrong turn between Norfolk and Richmond, and gottenonto a two-lane road that took me through parts of Tidewater VirginiaI’d never seen.

The options were to consult a map or navigate by whimsy. I had timeand a nice piece of metal, the 1997 Ford F-150 SuperCab pickup. I chosewhimsy.

Good truckiness involves performance, appearance — and a Zen senseof belonging to the world of trucks, with all of its dust, mud, sweatand motorized machismo.

The F-150 had performance. The test model came with Ford’soptional, 210-horsepower Triton V-8 and an all-new suspension; it movedcompetently in passing zones and corners.

The Zen was supreme. Tidewater Virginia is truck country — lots ofpickups and sport-utility vehicles. In a fast-food eatery, I met peoplewho wanted to talk about the new F-150. In parting, one of them showedme how to find I-95 North. He reached into a satchel — and withdrew amap.

Background: Ford’s 1997-model F-150 involved an extensive redesignof its F-Series pickups. For example, the new truck’s shape is a pieceof round work, quite unlike the square-bodied, broad-shouldered F-150sof the past. Many F-150 traditionalists would rather fight than switchfrom square to round. So in most of the 1996-model year (Oct. 1, 1995through Sept. 30, 1996), Ford offers both body styles.

Square people will buy the 1996 F-150. Round people can get the1997 model, currently available only as the SuperCab (pickup truck cabwith rear seats) version. Ford hopes that the new shape will catch on bythe fall of 1996, when square will yield totally to round, and roundwill include a variety of 1997 F-150 packages including regular cab(two-passenger) models.

Folks choosing the new F-150 SuperCab will find myriad changesbeyond cosmetics. A third door, allowing for easier access to the rearcabin, is now standard on all F-150 SuperCabs. The dashboard has beenreworked to allow better access to dials and buttons. The suspensionsystem has been revised, using short and long control arms and ananti-sway bar up front, and leaf springs and gas shocks in the rear –for better ride and handling.

Construction of the 1997 model is superior to the 1996 truck, whichcan develop squeaks emanating from the dashboard and cargo bed. The newtruck uses a cross-truck beam in the dash to practically eliminatesqueaks from that area, and it has stiffened the cargo box and frame toreduce noise in the rear.

There’s also a dual air bag with an optional cut-off switch for thepassenger bag. The switch is to be used when the front passenger seat isempty or holds a child’s car seat, since it can be dangerous to have anairbag deployed when an infant is in the front passenger seat.

The standard F-150 engine is a 4.2 liter V-6 rated 205 horsepowerat 4,400 rpm, with torque set at 255 pound-feet at 3,000 rpm. Thetested, optional 4.6-liter Triton V-8 is rated 210 horsepower at 4,400rpm with torque set at 290 pound-feet at 3,250 rpm. A bigger horsepower,5.4-liter Triton V-8 will be offered as another option next fall.

Five-speed manual overdrive is standard in the new F-150 family. Anelectronically controlled, four-speed automatic is optional.

Standard brakes include dual front discs/rear drums with rear-wheelanti-lock backup. A four-wheel anti-lock system is optional.Rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive F-150 models are available.

Complaints: Dumb placement of the hazard-light switch in ahard-to-reach spot atop the steering column. You’d think Ford might havefinally gotten the bright idea to place the hazard switch where itbelongs — to the right, clearly marked, smack-dab in the dashboardpanel.

Head-turning quotient: Some whoops, some oops, depending on whetherthose who saw the vehicle were into square or round.

Praise: Excellent redesign. Solid construction. Excellent highwaymanners. A truck’s truck.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Triple aces. Excellent brakingwit h an empty cargo bay. I didn’t do a loaded brake test. Next time.

Mileage: Oops! About 15 miles per gallon in the tested SuperCabwith four-speed automatic transmission (25-gallon fuel tank, estimated260-mile range on usable volume of regular unleaded), running mostlyhighway and driver only.

Sound system: AM/FM stereo radio and cassette, installed by Ford.Okey-doke. Won’t thrill audiophiles, but good enough for the rest of us.

Price: Estimated base price for the 1997 F-150 is $22,000.Estimated dealer invoice is $20,000. Estimated price as tested is$22,500, including a $500 destination charge. Pricing was not firm atthis writing.

Purse-strings: Compare with Chevrolet C1500, GMC Sierra 1500, DodgeRam 1500 and Toyota T100.