Ford F-150 locked in for mid-2023 Australian launch
Ford’s F-150 will come to Australia next year with factory support. We’re going to need a bigger boatAustralia will soon have another tow rig capable of pulling a 4500kg boat, with confirmation the Ford F-150 will go on sale in Australia from mid-way through 2023.
However, while the F-150 will be sold with Ford Australia backing, just like the RAM and GM equivalent sold here it will be a local right-hand-drive conversion of a North American model.
The Ford F-150 has enjoyed a 40-year run as North America's best-selling vehicle. The latest generation vehicles, launched in North America earlier this year, will be remanufactured in Melbourne to make it comply with Australian vehicle standards via Thailand-based vehicle modification group RMA Automotive.
In a twist of irony, the northern suburban factory where the vehicles will be transformed is just north of where the former Ford Australia and FPV factories in Campbellfield were once located.
Under the scheme, Ford Australia will provide every F-150 sold with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
The catch? Australia will receive the F-150 in a single crew cab body style in XLT and lariat specification and fitted with the one engine, a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged “EcoBoost” petrol V6 producing 298kW and 678Nm and paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Power on board
It means that despite its lower cylinder count, the Ford F-150’s V6 will produce more power than the 5.7-litre, 291kW V8 RAM 1500, but slightly less than the 313kW 6.2-litre V8 in the Chevrolet Silverado.
Where the Ford F-150 excels is the torque – its 678Nm trumps both the RAM’s 556Nm and the Silverado’s 624Nm.
The Ford F-150’s entire package is good for a 4500kg tow rating.
Once on sale, the Ford F-150 will compete directly with the RAM 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado, both of which are extensively re-engineered and converted to right-hand-drive layouts for sale in Australia.
The Ford F-150 was last officially on sale in 2007. The new model is likely to come standard with Ford’s Sync4 multimedia system, a host of collision avoidance technology, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Pricing? We’re going to have to wait until we’re a little closer to the vehicle’s launch date before Ford Australia will lock that in.
As a rough guide, prices for the RAM 1500 range from around $90,000 to almost $150,000 depending on the model, while the Chevrolet Silverado ranges from around $110,000 to almost $150,000.
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