This is the all-new Ford F-150, a pick-up truck for those in search of a truck that is spacious, comfortable, capable, and packed to the brim with cool technology. With a price tag of AED 285,000, let us take a closer look at what the F-150 Platinum has to offer.
Drive
Let’s begin this review with a short history lesson because the Ford F-150 isn’t just any pick-up truck, it is a truck that comes with decades of history and heritage attached to it. Introduced in 1948, the F-150 is 73 years old and over the course of its life, it has become America’s best-selling pick-up truck and the brand’s best-selling model, meaning Ford has definitely created and nailed the recipe to success.
This all-new 14th generation model turns over a new leaf for the brand, as it is the first time the F-150 pick-up truck is available with a hybrid powertrain. The 3.5-liter PowerBoost V6 powering our test car pushes out 430 horsepower and 772 Nm of torque, which is nearly as much as the outgoing Raptor, meaning it’s fast and can tow up to 5,760 kilograms.
What’s worth noting about the hybrid system is that it adds a whopping 44 horsepower and that it doesn’t require any special fuel or anything like that. You simply fill up at the petrol station, just like you would with any other pick-up truck, and drive; the only difference is that you will notice just how quiet and fuel-efficient it is, with Ford claiming up to 1,125 kilometers on a single tank of petrol.
Having said that, don’t be fooled into thinking the hybrid F-150 is a boring cruiser. When you put your foot down, it will push all its power through a 10-speed automatic transmission and hit 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds – a mighty impressive number for a mighty large truck. There are multiple drive modes to choose from, including a Sport mode, and since it is a Ford, the suspension has been tuned brilliantly, making it comfortable yet stiff enough to be sporty at the same time.
Interior
On the inside, Ford has truly pushed the bar in terms of design and quality. It’s a lot more modern with two large 12-inch screens (one for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainment screen) and there’s plenty of leather, wood, Alcantara, and metal trim all around the cabin. Not to forget how solid and well built it all is.
Since it is a big pick-up truck, storage space is virtually endless. There are two glove boxes, a huge center console storage box, and even more storage options in the door panels. But what makes the cabin truly unique are the folding gear lever that gives you a flat space to work or eat in, and seats that go completely flat, making them ideal to sleep in if you get to your campsite late at night or are simply too lazy to pitch your tent up.
Space in the back is absolutely massive, with a lot more headroom and legroom than even large SUVs can offer. It is worth mentioning that the seats are heated and that there are plenty of charging options, meaning you can charge all your devices and maybe even your neighbor’s devices, all at the same time.
Features
When it comes to features, this is the Platinum trim and it has everything you would ever want or need. On the safety side, there’s adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, and 360-degree cameras.
On the comfort side, there’s a huge panoramic roof, a dual-zone climate control system, and the option to adjust how close or far back the accelerator and brake pedal sit, in addition to seats that are heated, cooled, and massaged.
Finally, on the entertainment side, there are Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity options and a “banging” Bang and Olufsen sound system with 18 speakers, including speakers inside the headrests. However, there are a lot more cool features on the exterior of the truck, so let us go through those.
Exterior
Now I know this truck looks very similar to the outgoing model, but let me be clear, this is not a facelift, it is an all-new model and it has a new grille and headlights amongst a few other changes to show for it. Being an American pick-up truck, there’s plenty of chrome along the bodywork and big chrome alloys, but let’s keep all that aside and jump into those cool features I mentioned earlier.
Cool Feature #1: The generator. In the bed sits an inbuilt generator that provides up to 2,000 watts of power. That is enough power to run a fridge, TV, and gaming console all at the same time right from the back of your truck. Are you thinking of an awesome camp set-up, because I sure am!
Cool Feature #2: The tailgate work surface. It has inbuilt C-Clamp holders to cut wood. It has an in-built pen, pencil, and screw holders, and it also has in-built rulers, making it your ideal companion at a work site.
Cool Feature #3: The in-built bottle opener. We’ve all been there. We’ve got our camp set-up, the party going on, and we can’t find the bottle opener. Now, the F-150 has you sorted with an inbuilt bottle opener integrated into the tailgate.
Cool Feature #4: Zone Lighting. All around the new F-150 are inbuilt lights, in the front, back, and sides that can be controlled from the infotainment screen. Think about when you reach a campsite late at night or when you have to pack up your campsite in the dark, now there’s no need to struggle with flashlights or your mobile torch as Ford has you covered.
Verdict
When General Motors and RAM introduced their new trucks in 2019, Ford was lagging behind. Today, that simply isn’t the case as the new F-150 has revolutionized the luxury pick-up segment. More importantly, with 5 trim levels, 4 engines, 3 cabs, and 2 box lengths, there’s definitely an F-150 for everyone.
