Ford F-150 confirmed for Australia

America’s best-selling vehicle is on its way to Australia, giving pick-up fans tough decisions to make at the top end of town.

Ford’s F-Series pick-up will return to Australia in 2023, giving customers a bigger option than the smash-hit Ranger ute.

The latest Ford F-150 will be sold in official dealerships with the same five-year warranty and customer guarantees as any other Ford.

The fully-loaded F-150 Lariat is on the way to Australia.

As with the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado, it will be imported to Australia as a left-hand-drive model, then converted to right-hand-drive locally.

Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic said the project converting the latest F-150 to right-hand-drive was the only Ford venture of its kind anywhere in the world, reflecting the brand’s determination to offer the model here.

Well-equipped F-150 XLT models will form the entry point to the range.

“We’ve listened hard to fans and dealers and found a way to bring F-150 to Australia,” he said.

“As the pinnacle of ‘Built Ford Tough’, it will give our customers even more choice when they’re in the market for a pick-up. We just can’t wait to unleash it.

“F-150 has been part of F-Series, America’s best-selling vehicle line, for the past 40 years, with more than 40 million F-Series Trucks produced to date.

The F-150 is capable of towing 4.5 tonnes - 1000 kilos more than most utes.

“With such a local fan base, and with full-size truck sales in Australia tripling in recent years, we just knew we had to find a way to bring it back to Australia.”

The Blue Oval has contracted engineering firm RMA Automotive to “remanufacture” the F-150 in Australia, in an extensive process that requires far more work than a repositioned steering wheel and new dashboard.

Like the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado, the F-150 will be converted to right-hand-drive locally.

RMA has worked with Ford on a wide variety of projects including ambulance and military versions of its Ranger ute and Everest four-wheel-drive.

The model will go on sale locally in high-grade trims, XLT and Lariat.

Full prices and specifications are not available for the models. But the $115,000-plus price asked for the similar-sized, locally-converted RAM 1500 suggests Ford’s contender will be a six-figure proposition.

Standard equipment includes a huge touchscreen, 10-speed automatic transmission, and safety gear such as front and rear auto emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring.

Ford’s F-150 Raptor is off-limits - for now.

Both are powered by 298kW/678Nm versions of Ford’s “EcoBoost” 3.5-litre petrol V6, a motor also found in the range-topping F-150 Raptor.

But the high-performance Raptor is off-limits to Australia for now, as is the electric F-150 Lightning. Both models are on Ford’s wish list, but the brand’s local arm has to prove the F-150 has a strong enough following in Australia before Detroit opens its order book to high-end models.

Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning is in hot demand.

Birkic said the success of the regular F-150 was “one of the inputs” considered in a decision surrounding the Lightning and Raptor. Other considerations included prices and availability, as F-150 Lightning demand is particularly strong in the US.

“I absolutely love the Lightning. It’s incredible,” he said.

“Absolutely, I’m sure we could sell that product.

“Right now [America] really is the focus. North America are investing billions of dollars to make sure that program is robust, and they get that vehicle to their customers and dealers.”