Ford F-150 2023 Review – International

Aussies are flocking to full-size American pick-up trucks like celebs to cryptocurrency. The RAM 1500 has been an unmitigated success, the Chevrolet Silverado is building steam and now the latest Ford F-150 is set to join the fray in September, priced from $106,950 plus on-road costs. Converted to right-hand drive by RMA Automotive in Melbourne after being shipped from the US, the factory-backed right-hook F-150 – the first of its kind in Australia since 2007 – will be sold through Ford dealers with a five-year warranty, 4500kg towing capacity and plenty more besides. Will it be a sellout success for the brand? We’re leaning heavily towards yes.

First revealed in mid-2020, the 14th-generation Ford F-150 will come to Australia this year under the new factory-backed operation in just two model grades, the XLT starting at $106,950 and the top-spec Lariat from $139,950.

Those prices do not include on-road costs, so getting the Ford F-150 onto the road will likely cost between $115,000 and $150,000, not including options and accessories.

That’s a lot of money but isn’t expected to be a major deterrent for buyers, many of whom will be ABN holders (which brings tax advantages). Indeed, demand is expected to outstrip supply, at least initially.

Both XLT and Lariat will be offered in both short- and long-wheelbase guise, the latter adding $995 to the equation.

But there’s a walrus in the room. Just as we drove the big pick-up for an early taste test in the US, spy photos of the facelifted F-150 were published ahead of the upgraded truck’s reveal in Detroit in September.

Which raises the question – should you get the current model, which has already started arriving in Australia, or wait for the upgraded version, timing for which is yet to be determined. (It could be a year away…)

America’s top-selling vehicle for the past 45 years, the Ford F-150 will be imported from the US then converted to right-hand drive by Ford’s official Aussie partner, RMA Automotive, in Melbourne.

All models will be backed by Ford Australia’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty.

The price-leading XLT, which is what we’re testing in this review, undercuts its direct rivals by around $20,000 – the MY23 Chevrolet Silverado (from $128,000), which arrives here at roughly the same time as the F-150, and the fifth-gen DT-series RAM 1500 (from $127,950), which has been on sale since 2021.

But there’s a curveball… two of them, actually.

Firstly, whereas the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado both come with a feisty petrol V8, the Ford F-150 is powered exclusively by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

The second is the looming Toyota Tundra. It’s set to arrive in Australia with full factory backing in due course and will be a hugely compelling proposition given Toyota’s massive dealer, service and support network across Australia.

The 2023 Ford F-150 will be reasonably well equipped in Australia, with XLT models rolling on 20-inch alloy wheels and fitted with a dual-range 4x4 system, 10-speed automatic transmission and a spray-in tub liner.

Inside, there’s power-adjustable front seats, fabric upholstery, twin 8.0-inch digital screens for the central infotainment touch-screen and driver’s display, the latter wedged between traditional analogue speedometer and tachometer dials.

Satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable foot pedals, a seven-speaker sound system, reversing camera and smartphone remote vehicle controls (engine start, lock/unlock, etc) via FordPass are also standard.

Our F-150 XLT test vehicle featured around $US18,000 ($A27,400) worth of options on top of its $US50,220 ($A76,500) base price, most obviously an XLT sport appearance package that adds two-tone exterior colours with black roof and lower bodywork.

It’s not clear what options will be available in Australia just yet and this XLT was closer in specification to the top-spec Lariat model grade, with a bigger 12-inch central touch-screen, wireless phone charger and a full-length twin-panel panoramic sunroof.

Aussie Lariat models will also add a powered tailgate, leather-accented upholstery, heated and cooled front seats and an 18-speaker B&O sound system.

Launched in the US in 2021, the latest-generation Ford F-150 cuts the mustard in the safety department.

Our vehicle was equipped with all the latest driver assist safety features including adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, active lane keep assistance, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pre-collision assist, rear cross traffic alert and tyre pressure monitoring.

There’s also a number of towing-related systems, including pro-trailer back-up assist and rear cross traffic alert with trailer coverage.

Six airbags are fitted standard.

The 2023 Ford F-150 XLT gets a pair of small 8.0-inch screens, but the ute on test was fitted with the same 12-inch twin-screen layout that comes with the Lariat.

It looks good and performs as expected, running Ford’s SYNC4 operating system which is responsive to touch input and intuitive, the user interface a highlight.

There’s plenty of custom options and widgets, the satellite navigation is very effective and wired or wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay phone pairing is always welcome.

The digital driver’s display is also customisable and delivers all the details you generally require, from engine and road speeds to the current speed limit and loads of trip computer data, such as average and instant fuel consumption, distance to empty and so on.

Power-adjustable pedals are a neat touch and will be standard on all Aussie F-150s.

Some of the other cool features include sensors in the bed that allow you to weigh loads, with readouts displayed both on the central touch-screen inside the cabin and via the LED tail-light elements at the back of the ute.

All Aussie-delivered F-150 models will be equipped with a modem (FordPass Connect) that works with the FordPass app to allow for vehicle location/tracking and other remote vehicle controls.

Big trucks need big power and the 2023 Ford F-150 will be exclusively equipped in Australia with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost petrol V6 that belts out a stump-pulling 298kW of power and 678Nm of torque.

The ‘boost’ part of EcoBoost refers to the V6 powerplant’s twin turbochargers and intercooler, which help it deliver face-slapping levels of torque that are funnelled through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Maximum braked towing capacity is 4.5 tonnes, up 1000kg compared to the Ford Ranger and a key selling point for the F-150.

Aussie buyers miss out on the petrol V8 offered in the US (and also by its rivals RAM and Chevrolet in Australia), and part of the fun and indeed the appeal of owning a big US pick-up truck is hearing that great big wobbity-wob sound from the V8.

The turbo V6 in the Ford F-150 is whisper-quiet, which in some ways is nice; it makes the vehicle feel more luxurious and refined, but we were hoping for a bit more drama from the engine acoustics.

While Ford’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 pumps out similar power to its V8-powered RAM 1500 (291kW/556Nm) and Chevrolet Silverado (313kW/624Nm) rivals, it conjures up more torque and that should definitely help with towing.

Ford sells diesel, petrol-electric hybrid and even full-electric F-150s in the US, but again, none of them have been assigned for Australia at this stage. That said, there is a growing body of evidence the F-150 Lightning EV could come to Oz.

While the 2023 Ford F-150 won’t have the aural gravitas of its V8 competitors in Australia, it should be more economical.

Ford reckons our XLT on test here will return 19mpg, which works out to around 12.4L/100km on the combined city/highway driving cycle.

Our testing showed 18.7mpg or 12.6L/100km, which is pretty good fuel efficiency for such a big unit, tipping the scales at around 2100kg.

The 2023 Ford F-150 is like an old couch on wheels… with a roof and lots of wireless connectivity and advanced driving systems. In other words, the huge seats make it a comfy, smooth and relaxing place to spend time.

Across several hundred kilometres and three US states, the F-150 proves to be a very good long-distance tourer, loping along in 10th gear on the freeway at 75mph or 120km/h.

It’s effortless to drive and when you drop the hammer to overtake slower motorists, the gearbox takes a little time to think before it down shifts a cog or three, but the engine delivers plenty of thrust when requested, accelerating the F-150 with surprisingly pace.

In urban and city environs, the smooth and quiet engine happily pootles around at slower speeds, and while the light steering makes it easy to point in the right direction, it’s considerable length requires a little more thought when making tighter turns at T-intersections.

Despite its mammoth 5885mm length – almost six metres long! – 2029mm width and 1961mm height, parking the F-150 isn’t too stressful thanks to all the sensors, cameras and big wing mirrors with dual elements – regular and fish-eye – which improve rearward vision.

But the turning circle ain’t great, so it pays to premeditate your approaches and extractions from the parking lot, y’all.

Ride comfort is good, the front-end soaking up cruddy, crumbling roads and speed bumps with ease and giving the big rig a gentle-giant feel. The firmer (weight-bearing) rear suspension can get pretty jiggly at times but this is to be expected unladen and won’t be cause for concern for anyone familiar with driving dual-cab utes. If you’re coming from an SUV, however, it might be more of a shock.

The view from the driver’s seat is fantastic, not only thanks to the F-150’s lofty 220mm ride height but also because it has big glass windows, with scalloped sections on the front side windows creating very good sight lines.

The 2023 Ford F-150 is a proper mud pig and features a 4x4 system which can run in fuel-saving 2WD mode (2H) or be flicked to 4x4 with high and low gearing (4H, 4L).

Our test vehicle also had a locking rear diff for off-road work and several drive modes, including Normal, Eco, Sport, Tow and Mud/Ruts, to name a few.

We didn’t have an opportunity to go bush whacking with the F-150 but it won’t be too long before we do with the Australian-market models.

If you’re looking for a tow rig, the 2023 Ford F-150 should be high on your list, matching rivals’ 4500kg braked towing capacity.

The 953kg payload on the XLT tested here is better than a Chevrolet Silverado (760kg) and RAM 1500 (833kg).

However, the F-150’s load area is the smallest of the three big US pick-up trucks, with an internal length of 1704mm, width of 1646mm (1285mm between the wheel-arches) and depth of 544mm.

Speaking of the tub, it’s got plenty of flexibility, with four heavy-duty tie-down cleats, special BoxLink attachments, a spray-in tub liner, rather good tub illumination via LED lights above the rear window, plus a power locking and damped tailgate with twin clamp pockets.

There’s a full-size spare wheel underneath.

The vehicle on test tips the scales at 2122kg unladen, but Australian specs are still to announced, including kerb weight, gross combined mass (GCM) and gross vehicle mass (GVM).

If the PowerBoost V6 hybrid powertrain ever gets the green light for Australia, the F-150’s towing figure would rise to just over 5400kg.

Once you’ve spent time inside a full-size American pick-up truck, it’s tricky to go back to the mid-size utes like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

That’s because they offer a lot more cabin space and, in the F-150’s case, loads of thoughtful features and more versatility than a backpack filled with zip-lock bags and duct tape.

The power-operated cloth seats are seriously wide and welcoming, and fitting five fully grown humans inside the F-150 is an absolute doddle with loads of headroom and legroom up front and in the back seats.

The rear seats actually look and feel like three separate seats too, not just a bench with an occasional middle seat.

Fit and finish is relatively good and there’s nothing that feels ultra-cheap and nasty.

Storage is exceptional, with a huge bin under the central arm rest, gargantuan triple-tiered door pockets, large cup holders, a twin glovebox, dash-top storage, plus USB-A and USB-C ports with extra incidental storage for your phone and other odds and sods.

There’s a clever feature that at the push of a button lowers the gear shifter to allow the central arm rest to unfold and create a large flat surface for eating lunch or to use as a bench for a laptop or tablet. It’s very useful.

You’ll find a conventional 12V socket and no less than four three-pin power points (120V) – one up front, one for the rear seat passengers and two in the tub.

The incoming 2023 Ford F-150 has a lot of positives and not too many negatives. Yes, it’s big and expensive but it’s also fit for purpose and represents strong value for money compared to its RAM and Chevrolet rivals.

There’s still a question mark hanging over the facelifted F-150, which in effect will immediately supersede this vehicle, before the MY24 model eventually arrives Down Under.

And we don’t know yet just how neat and tidy RMA’s conversion work to right-hand drive will be.

But there’s no denying the F-150 is a well-executed pick-up truck and if Ford and RMA can keep their remanufacturing processes on the boil, the F-150 should be a strong contender against Australia’s top-selling big truck, the RAM 1500.

That is, if Australians are prepared to buy a V6 over a V8.

2023 Ford F-150 XLT SWB at a glance:
Price: $106,950 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Third quarter 2023
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 298kW/678Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.4L/100km (US EPA Combined)
CO2: 292g/km (US EPA Combined)
Safety rating: Good (IIHS 2022)

This article originally appeared on carsales.