The Ford F-150 needs little introduction. It’s a part of the F-truck family which have been the best-selling vehicles in the US for more than four decades, and finally made its official Australian debut in 2023.
The ‘Effy’s’ journey in Australia hasn’t been without its bumps. The left-to-right-hand drive conversion, carried out by RMA Automotive Australia, experienced problems which led to a dozen recalls or stop-sales in just 18 months, resulting in the pickup going off sale between July and October last year.
Ford says those issues have since been resolved with orders recommencing in late 2025, just before the arrival of the newly updated and expanded lineup, now including three variants: the XLT at $114,950, the Lariat at $143,950, and sitting at the very top, the new Platinum flagship at $163,950 before on-road costs.
The powertrain is unchanged the pre-facelift model, with the twin-turbo 3.5-litre EcoBoost petrol V6, continuing to produce 298kW and 678Nm, sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission to a part-time 4×4 system in the XLT, and a full-time system in the Lariat and Platinum.
While Ford has copped flak for not bringing the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 to Australia in the F-150, the twin-turbo V6 is more than able to do the same or an even better job than the bent-eight, thanks to it packing an additional 122Nm.
On top of this, the V6 sounds genuinely tough, pulls hard, and has more than enough urgency when you need to make a confident overtake. The 10-speed automatic is seamless, changing gears without you ever really noticing it.
Stepping inside the Platinum cabin, Ford has wrapped almost everything in a black onyx luxury trim, and the multi-adjustable front seats – with massage, heating, and ventilation for both driver and passenger – are a genuine highlight over a long day behind the wheel. For those doing the long haul with extended breaks throughout the day, the front seats also boast max recline to an almost flat position.
The foldable gear selector allows the centre console to open out flat into a workspace, handy for anyone who needs to get some work done on the road, while the rear bench seating has enough room for three adults to ride comfortably.
For some buyers, the amount of standard kit in the Platinum, such as its panoramic twin panel moonroof, wireless charging pad, 12-inch infotainment screen and matching 12-inch digital instrument cluster, might feel over the top, but for a pickup at this price, it feels like you’d be short-changed not getting as much.
In the Platinum, the new ‘Pro Access’ tailgate is worth a mention. It can open via a conventional drop, or it can open and close vertically. As someone who isn’t exactly tall, a hip-height swing door that opens into the tray is a small detail that is far more useful in day-to-day life than it might sound.
Though most buyers will likely have experience towing if they need a rig this big, Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist is the single feature that takes the most stress out of owning and navigating a pickup like this when you’re pulling something.
Reversing a trailer is one of those skills that takes practice to get right, and the instinctive reaction of which way to turn the wheel is almost always wrong. Via the system, drivers set up a trailer profile and use a small dash-mounted dial to point the trailer in the direction you need it to go, only requiring the human behind the wheel to manage the accelerator and brakes.
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Where the Platinum shows its working-truck roots, despite the luxury cabin, is on rough roads when running unladen. The rear leaf-spring suspension means that without a load or a trailer, the ride on bumpy roads can be firmer and busier than the price tag might lead you to expect.
The Platinum is the only F-150 variant to benefit from adaptive dampers (marketed as Continuously Controlled Dampers), and the difference in ride quality when towing is immediately noticeable. But unloaded on a rough back road, you’ll feel it.
The other consideration worth flagging is sheer size – the F-150, even in short-wheelbase guise, is a big truck, and while you adjust to it quickly on open roads and country highways, tight urban carparks and narrow suburban streets will test your patience.
If you’re buying the Platinum primarily to drive around the city, it’s going to make itself known in those situations. If you’re buying it for what it’s genuinely built for, long-distance touring, towing and hauling, it all makes complete sense.
At $163,950 before on-roads, the Ford F-150 Platinum is asking a lot. But it gives a lot back. The conversion issues of the past year will linger in some buyers’ minds, but with those hopefully now behind it, the Platinum feels like the F-150 that Australia has been waiting for.
It’s enormous, it’s lavish, and yes, it’s a little bit over the top. But then, so is spending $163,950 on a pickup. You might as well enjoy every part of it.
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