In what could be a first in the automotive industry, a Kodiak bear weighing over 360 kg (800 pounds) tested the Ford F-150's new security package quite thoroughly, and likely gave it a decent score. The bear literally shook the truck at one point and shattered a window with its paw.Ford planned to test America's most popular truck in the wild instead of relying on lab assessments. The vehicle's new security package is a connected system that alerts drivers through the Ford app if someone breaks into the truck, courtesy of the "potential intrusion alert" feature.Also part of the security package is a new Ford truck bed camera that offers a real-time, 180-degree field of view, HD remote live-streaming, and enough cloud storage that could come in handy to present footage to the insurance company in cases such as theft.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the security package isn't groundbreaking, certain additional features could come in handy amid rising theft incidents.Ford revealed additional features of the security package in a release. They are as follows:Potential cabin intrusion alertDoor opened alertHardware disabled alert, triggered if someone tampers with the vehicle — including alerting to some of the tactics used by organized crime rings and professional thievesUnexpected location alert, activated if the vehicle is relocated without the engine onStart Inhibit, which prevents the vehicle from being started, even if someone has a keyA direct line to a 24/7 call security call centerWhat About the Bear?Here comes the interesting bit. The Kodiak bear is actually an animal actor who received his celebrity status after featuring in a TV series called Yellowstone. He has also appeared in several other commercials in the past.AdvertisementAdvertisementFord said it hired the bear and its trainer, Keith Bauer, to basically damage the truck and, if possible, even enter it so the security package could be tested in real time. As a result, Ford parked the F-150 near the ranch in the Oregon woods where Tag lives and let him do his thing.Apart from shaking the 5,000-pound F-150, Tag clawed the bodywork, shattered the driver's side window, climbed the truck bed, and felt proud of himself for doing so. All this happened at Bauer's direction. He said:"Bears love to destroy things. They like to break things. I was really happy with the way Tag did the things they wanted him to do."He added:AdvertisementAdvertisement"When he got up there and got the truck rocking, you can see he's up on his toes because he is really getting into it and liking it."Not only that, Tag actually opened the door to get inside the F-150, something that he learned well after Ford sent Bauer a practice truck to train Tag weeks before the event. He added:"It was something he liked to do, so he did it really well. He loved it."Sam Harris, the director of product for Ford Secure, said:"It was something out of a movie.""It felt like having a human in a bear suit; he was so natural. Him opening the door was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen an animal do, but the truck held up really well."AdvertisementAdvertisementHarris was glad that the F-150 performed the way he and his team expected during the test. He added:"These real-world environments and tests uncover insights. Seeing Tag next to the truck was great, and seeing the truck do everything we hoped it was going to do was fantastic."
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