Ford Australia finds a bigger boat for heavy-duty F-150 tests

Images released by Ford this week show the big RIB – it’s the flagship of Italboats’ GT range – being towed by the vehicle that has regularly sat at the top of the North American sales chart, and now in line to come to Australia next year.

It’s an oversize load, with the Italboats Stingher 32 GT stretching 9.6 metres before it hits the trailer, and tipping the scales at around 1900kg before adding the twin ‘Zukes, accessories and fuel. The beam is also a permit-only 3.4 metres.

The Ford F-150 that will be sold here is being re-engineered for our market in Thailand – US-based Ford doesn’t have a right-hand-drive program for the light truck – with testing already taking place here.

The version of the truck sold here will use a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, and send its drive to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission in 4x4 crew cab configuration.

The Australian version of the Frd F-150 will be sold in either XLT or Lariat specifications, and in short (3.7-metre wheelbase with a 1.7-metre load bed) and long (4.0-metre wheelbase and 2.0-metre load bed) configurations.

Ford Australia performance and customisation chief engineer Dave Burn said when the Ford F-150 hit Australian showrooms, it would have endured the same local durability programme as Next-Generation Ranger and Everest – and the same program the left-hand-drive F-150 went through in the US.

“We’ve torture-tested, tuned and re-worked the right-hand-drive F-150 so that Aussie customers know they’re getting the full factory F-150 experience,” Burn said.

“We’re doing everything to make sure the truck will be right at home here in Australia.”

Local testing was performed at Ford Australia’s You Yangs proving ground, one of the remnants of Ford’s once-proud local manufacturing operations that included a manufacturing plant at Broadmeadows.

The Ford F-150s destined for sale in Australia will have their conversions engineered in a factory close to where the last locally made Ford Falcon and Territory rolled off the production line in 2016.

According to Ford, more than 8000 people have shown interest in the new Ford F-150 ahead of its Australian arrival, with some of them even laying down a deposit to get one of the first ones on the road.

The Ford F-150’s 3.5-litre V6 will produce 298kW and 678Nm torque, allowing it to tow up to 4.5 tonnes, as long as it is fitted with a genuine Ford tow kit.