The first Ford F-150 pickup truck deliveries have kicked off in Australia, with the first buyers given a special tour of the production centre in Melbourne.
Ford Australia says the local production process, kicking off with a left-hand drive F-150 built in Detroit, takes around 22 hours to complete. With an assembly line turning over at the RMA Automotive facility in Mickleham, Melbourne, the local setup builds around 20 examples per day.
Ford engineers team up with RMA to build the local-spec models, using around 500 new parts while applying retuning and calibration to each vehicle. Some of the altered or retuned parts include the climate control, lighting, instrument cluster, steering, and software systems.
The F-150 is on sale in Australia now. Buyers can select between the XLT and Lariat, in both short and long wheelbase forms (SWB and LWB). All are powered by a 3.5-litre twin- turbo V6 petrol engine that produces 298kW and 678Nm. It’s matched to a 10-speed auto with dual-range four-wheel drive.
Fuel consumption is listed at 12.5L/100km on the official combined cycle. With the standard 136L fuel tank, the theoretical average range is 1088km. Meanwhile, the braked towing capacity is 4500kg, with 769kg payload for the short wheelbase and 710kg for the LWB.
Inside, the XLT showcases an 8.0-inch touch-screen system while the Lariat uses a 12-inch setup. Both run Ford’s SYNC 4 operating system, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. Users can also connect with the vehicle via the FordPass Connect smartphone app.
Buyers can order the F-150 through Ford’s nationwide dealer network now, and all models are covered by the regular five-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty offered by Ford Australia. Prices start from the following (excluding on-road costs):
2024 Ford F-150 XLT SWB: $106,950
2024 Ford F-150 Lariat SWB: $139,950
2024 Ford F-150 XLT LWB: $107,945
2024 Ford F-150 Lariat LWB: $140,945
