The Ford F-150 is coming soon to Australian showrooms. As the first shipments arrived in Melbourne to be converted from left-hand drive to right-hand drive, we got a taste of what to expect.
2023 Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 has arrived in Australia. The first shipment has docked in Melbourne before being converted from left- to right-hand drive at a facility not far from the former Ford Falcon production line in Broadmeadows on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.
The first 100 vehicles arrived after a 10-week, 15,000km journey from the US, with more shipments already on the way.
Sales of US pick-ups in Australia have been booming over the past five years as Australians with a sense of adventure – and a need to haul heavy loads – traded their Toyota LandCruisers, Nissan Patrols and Ford Ranger utes for the real deal from North America.
Australians have for decades been asking too much of their tow vehicles when it comes to moving large caravans and boats. Now there is a growing choice of vehicles that can do so with ease.
The Ford F-150 follows the success of the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado – and the Toyota Tundra is not far behind.
Drive was invited with other local media to test-drive the Ford F-150 in the US as part of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse preview.
The example in these photos is the Ford F-150 XLT 75th anniversary edition with two-tone paint, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof and 360-degree camera (among other extras).
While we won’t get this exact version in local showrooms, here’s what we learned about the Ford F-150 – and what Australian buyers can expect.
How much does the Ford F-150 cost in Australia?
Ford Australia will initially offer four dual-cab versions of the F-150, listed below:
- Ford F-150 XLT short wheelbase: $106,950
- Ford F-150 XLT long wheelbase: $107,945
- Ford F-150 Lariat short wheelbase: $139,950
- Ford F-150 Lariat long wheelbase: $140,945
- The above prices exclude on-road costs such as registration, stamp duty and arbitrary dealer charges.
As the names imply, the long-wheelbase models have a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), but they also gain a bigger ute tub.
All four models are powered by the same twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine (298kW/678Nm) paired to a 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
The Ford F-150 price range in Australia – from $107,000 to $141,000 in round numbers – compares to a starting price of $85,950 for the soon-to-be-discontinued Ram 1500 Express, to $153,000 for the Ram 1500 Limited DT Series.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 line-up stretches from $121,000 for the LTZ to $124,000 for the ZR2 (plus on-road costs).
The Toyota Tundra is also poised to join the booming US pick-up market in Australia, with the first 300 customer validation vehicles due to hit local roads in the coming months.
Another element to consider: Ram and Chevrolet each have about 55 to 65 showrooms in Australia, Ford has more than 160 dealerships, and Toyota has more than 200 dealers in Australia.
So chances are you’re going to see a lot more US pick-ups on Australian roads – especially once the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra ramp up.
MORE: 2023 Ford F-150 price and specs – US top-selling pick-up to start from $106,950
| Key details | 2023 Ford F-150 |
| Price | From $106,950 to $140,945 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Ram 1500 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Toyota Tundra |
How much space does the Ford F-150 have inside?
The Ford F-150 has more interior space than a Holden Caprice or a Toyota LandCruiser.
There is ample shoulder-to-shoulder room – with the front seats divided by a large centre console – and plenty of legroom and headroom for back-seat passengers.
There are more cupholders than there are seatbelts, and the recesses can accommodate large soft-drink bottles.
There is under-seat storage in the back row, as well as cavernous door pockets (as with the front doors).
But the best party trick is the stowable gear lever, which creates a flat work space (such as for a laptop) when the car is parked and the centre console lid is flipped forward.
It’s a genius idea and will come in handy for anyone who needs to write up a quote on the laptop when on the road. And, of course, there is a household power socket to be able to run a laptop or fridge.
The household power socket was deleted from the Ford Ranger in Australia amid some regulatory paperwork, so here’s hoping Ford Australia has this sorted for the F-150 by the time it arrives in local showrooms.
| 2023 Ford F-150 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Length | 5884mm (5.5-foot or 1676mm tray) 6184mm (6.5-foot or 1981mm tray) |
| Width | 2030mm |
| Height | 1995mm |
| Wheelbase | 3694mm (5.5-foot or 1676mm tray) 3994mm (6.5-foot or 1981mm tray) |
Does the Ford F-150 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the Ford F-150 – via an 8.0-inch infotainment screen on the XLT and 12.0-inch infotainment screen on the Lariat.
The digital instrument cluster also matches the size of the infotainment screen of each model coming to Australia: an 8.0-inch display on the XLT and a 12.0-inch display on the Lariat.
Embedded navigation, digital radio and AM/FM will be fitted to Australia-bound Ford F-150 pick-ups.
The XLT comes with seven audio speakers; the Lariat has B&O premium-branded 18-speaker audio.
What safety technology does the Ford F-150 have?
All versions launching the new Ford F-150 line-up in Australia (XLT and Lariat) come with:
- Six airbags
- Blind-zone warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert with trailer coverage
- Cruise control
- Lane-keeping assistance
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Rear parking sensors
- Rear-view camera
- Trailer sway control
- Tyre pressure monitoring
The Ford F-150 Lariat gains:
- Front parking sensors
- 360-degree camera
- Radar cruise control with stop-and-go
- Intersection AEB
On our preview drive, the lane-keeping assistance was not overzealous and the radar cruise control worked well.
However, we will reserve final judgment until we test the new Ford F-150 on the vagaries of Australian roads.
| At a glance | 2023 Ford F-150 |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) |
Is the Ford F-150 fuel-efficient?
On our preview drive, the Ford F-150 dipped to the equivalent of 12L/100km in parts – fair for a full-size US pick-up and similar to what’s possible in the real world in the Ford Ranger Raptor on gnarly off-road rubber in Australia – and climbed to 14 and 15L/100km when pointed at a hill with four occupants on board.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 12.0L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 136L |
What is the Ford F-150 like to drive?
Haters who have made it this far in the review, please look away now.
Serious buyers – or the genuinely curious – might like to know the Ford F-150 does not feel at all like a monster truck.
From behind the wheel it feels like a big, comfortable SUV with a really big boot.
The words ‘Range Rover’ were used more than once during our US drive – by a number of media attendees – to describe the comfort in the cabin, the effortless performance, and the sure-footed roadholding.
It’s worth reminding ourselves the Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are family cars in the US.
As soon as you reset your mindset to Holden Commodore Vacationer (or Equipe as it was later known) or Ford Territory Ghia, the Ford F-150 starts to click.
For our US media preview drive – on the back of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse launch – we had a Bronco, a Mustang and an F-150 to split between seven attendees.
The others could barely lever me out of the Ford F-150, such was its comfort and roominess – whether behind the wheel or in the back seat.
Visibility all around is excellent thanks to the large window area.
Knee-room in the back seat is so generous, you can’t even push your knees into the seat back if you tried (when seated properly), even if only to annoy the person in front.
Engine performance was surprisingly quick. The twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 feels every bit as perky as – if not perkier than – the Chevrolet Silverado 6.2-litre V8 (which shares the same jointly developed 10-speed auto as the Ford).
The acceleration of the Ford F-150 sneaks up on you. The twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 has a mild growl to it, but it is mute compared to the roar of the V8 Ram and V8 Chevrolet.
Despite the lack of theatrics, there is no doubt it is fast. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to run VBox 0 to 100km/h acceleration numbers as the F-150 was always full of people and/or luggage. We will hook it up to our timing equipment when we test it on local roads.
So, first impressions are good, but we acknowledge the Ford F-150 – and its peers – may not be for everyone.
Caution is required when approaching car park structures (the F-150 is close to two metres tall), and it can be a handful in fast-food drive-thru lanes – even in the US.
But to be honest, a lot of four-wheel drives and utes already sold in Australia have the same limits and require the same caution – especially once they are loaded to the roof with off-road accessories.
| Key details | 2023 Ford F-150 |
| Engine | Twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol |
| Power | 298kW @ 6000rpm |
| Torque | 678Nm @ 3100rpm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 10-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 116 to 122kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2451kg (XLT SWB), 2471kg (XLT LWB), 2535kg (Lariat SWB), 2555kg (Lariat LWB) |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Tow rating | 4500kg braked (on approved hitch) 3500kg braked (on 50mm tow ball) 750kg unbraked (on 50mm tow ball) |
Should I buy a Ford F-150?
If you’re trading up from a Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol – or any number of double-cab utes such as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger et al – you’re going to love the roominess, effortless performance and capability to spare in the new Ford F-150.
If you’re a hater who doesn’t understand US pick-ups and other vehicles like this, good luck towing a horse float with your Tesla.
Note: US vehicle tested (and photographed), preliminary Australian specifications listed.
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