First shipment of Ford F-150 pick-ups arrives in Australia, in showrooms soon

EXCLUSIVE

The world’s biggest-selling pick-up, the Ford F-150, is weeks away from customer deliveries in Australia after the first bulk shipment docked in Melbourne overnight after a 10-week, 15,000km journey from the US.

The first batch of 98 vehicles – with more shipments on the water, close behind – are on the their way to be remanufactured from left- to right-hand-drive in a new factory not far from the former Ford Falcon production line in Broadmeadows on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.

The vehicles in the first shipment represent the cross-section of the four models in the Australian Ford F-150 line-up:

Ford F-150 XLT short wheelbase: $106,950Ford F-150 XLT long wheelbase: $107,945Ford F-150 Lariat short wheelbase: $139,950Ford F-150 Lariat long wheelbase: $140,945

Note: Prices above exclude additional costs such as registration, stamp duty, and dealer delivery fees.

As previously reported, all four models are powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine (298kW/678Nm) paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive.

While the Ford F-150 will be going up against V8-powered pick-ups from Ram and Chevrolet in Australia, the company says its V6 has the power of a V8 but the fuel economy of a V6.

Meantime, the Toyota Tundra – also due in Australia later this year – will have twin-turbo V6 petrol-hybrid power.

Ford says the shipment of F-150 pick-ups destined for Australia started their journey in Baltimore before making the 10-week journey by ship to Port Melbourne.

Ford dealers canvassed by Drive say the F-150 is sold out for six to 12 months – depending on the variant – before any customers have had a chance to take one for a test drive.

Sales of US pick-ups in Australia have out-paced the new-car market since the Ram 1500 pioneered the remanufacturing segment in 2017 and last year posted the fourth year in a row of record deliveries.

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