Orders for the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado-rivalling Ford F-150 pickup have now opened ahead of first arrivals in the third quarter of this year.
The F-150 range starts at $106,950 before on-road costs for the XLT SWB in Australia, and extends to $140,945 before on-roads for the Lariat LWB.
The first batch of vehicles set to be remanufactured from left- to right-hand drive is now on a boat to Australia from Dearborn, Michigan.
The F-150 will be remanufactured to right-hand drive by RMA Automotive at a facility in Mickleham, Victoria – unlike the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado, which are imported (by Ateco and GMSV, respectively) and remanufactured in right-hand drive by Walkinshaw in Clayton, Victoria.
Two trim levels will be offered in the F-150 locally, both of which can be had in either short- (3683mm) or long-wheelbase (3987mm) guise. Regardless of which length you opt for, the F-150 will feature a two-row crew cab in Australia.
Unlike its American pickup rivals with their V8 engines, the F-150 will be powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The EcoBoost engine makes 298kW of power and 678Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels through a four-wheel drive system.
Lariat
With a braked towing capacity of 4500kg, the F-150 matches the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 when it comes to claimed heavy hauling ability.
The car will be backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and will be sold and serviced through the Ford Australia dealer network.
Ford Australia is aware of the F-150 Hybrid, Raptor, V8, and electric Lightning options. It hasn’t ruled out bringing them Down Under, but only once the remanufacturing process is established and demand for the EcoBoost has been proven.
XLT
Pricing
- 2023 Ford F-150 XLT SWB: $106,950
- 2023 Ford F-150 XLT LWB: $107,945
- 2023 Ford F-150 Lariat SWB: $139,950
- 2023 Ford F-150 Lariat LWB: $140,945
Powertrain
The entire 2023 Ford F-150 range is powered by a 3.5-litre ‘EcoBoost’ twin-turbo V6 petrol engine producing 298kW of power and 678Nm of torque.
This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a four-wheel drive system.
The XLT variants have a part-time four-wheel drive system with 2H, 4H, and 4L modes, whereas the Lariat variants have a full-time four-wheel drive system with a 4A mode.
This V6 EcoBoost petrol engine uses a pair of injectors per cylinder along with twin-intercooled turbochargers that’s claimed to minimise lag.
Efficiency
Ford Australia hasn’t detailed fuel economy figures for the local F-150 range.
In the US the F-150 variants with the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 and engine idle stop-start are claimed to consume 20 miles per gallon (mpg) according to EPA combined cycle testing. This equates to 11.8L/100km.
It’s unclear at this stage if the remanufactured, right-hand drive F-150s sold locally will have engine idle stop-start, nor what the fuel tank size will be. In the US it’s available with either a 98L tank as standard and a 136L long-range tank as an option.
Dimensions
The 2023 Ford F-150 range is available exclusive in four-door Crew Cab guise with either a short-wheelbase (SWB) or long-wheelbase (LWB) body styles.
The F-150 SWB has a wheelbase of 3683mm with a 1676mm styleside tub, whereas the F-150 LWB has a 304mm longer wheelbase at 3987mm long with a 1981mm styleside tub.
All F-150 models have a braked towing capacity of 4500kg. Payload capacities remain unclear at this point.
Servicing and Warranty
The Ford F-150 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty like the rest of the Australian lineup.
Ford Australia hasn’t detailed service intervals or pricing as of yet.
Safety
The Ford F-150 hasn’t been tested by Australian crash testing authority ANCAP yet, so for now it remains unrated.
In the US the F-150 was awarded a five-star safety rating according to testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The 2023 Ford F-150 comes standard with the following safety features:
- Six airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Blind-spot monitoring with trailer tow coverage
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-keep assist
- Driver alert system
- Cruise control
- Rear-view camera
- Reversing sensors
- Ford Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist
The Lariat adds:
- Intersection assist
- Lane centring
- Evasive steering assist
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Speed sign recognition
- Surround-view camera
- Front parking sensors
Standard Equipment
The 2023 Ford F-150 XLT comes standard with the following features:
- 20-inch machined faced alloy wheels
- Two-bar style grille with chrome surround and black accents
- Chrome front and rear bumpers
- Black platform side steps
- Tailgate with flexible step and work surface
- Spray-in bedliner
- Boxlink cargo management locking cleats
- Underbody skidplates
- 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 8.0-inch SYNC4 touchscreen infotainment system
- Satellite navigation
- Seven-speaker sound system
- FordPass connect
- Dual-zone climate control
- Foldout office workspace
- Column-mounted gear selector
- Cloth upholstery
- 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- 10-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat
- Power-adjustable foot pedals
The Lariat adds:
- Premium mesh insert grille with chrome surround
- Chrome mirror scalps, door handles, belt mouldings, tow hooks, and side steps
- LED headlights
- LED front fog lights
- LED tail lights
- Powered twin-panel moonroof
- Power release and close tailgate
- Power sliding rear window
- 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system
- Wireless phone charger
- Console-mounted gear shifter
- Leather-accented upholstery
- Heated and cooled front seats
- Heated rear outboard rear seats
- Driver seat memory
- 12-way power-adjustable front seats
- Power-adjustable foot pedals with memory
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Lane centring
- Evasive steering assist
- Speed sign recognition
- Surround-view camera
- Front parking sensors
Colours
The 2023 Ford F-150 range is available with the following exterior paint colours:
- Oxford White
- Agate Black
- Iconic Silver
- Antimatter Blue
- Carbonised Grey
- Rapid Red
All paint colours besides Oxford White is considered prestige paint which costs extra. Ford Australia hasn’t detailed how much this costs at this stage.
MORE: Everything Ford F-150
