THE biggest benefit of a virtual launch to carmakers is that an invitation to one is an invitation to all. For example, during the media interview for the F-150 I was just listening to Ford Philippines marketing director Ryan Lorenzo as he revealed some of the new features and capabilities of the new F-150 to my editor and his colleagues Mike Potenciano and Lindy Pellicer of Turbo Time.
I penciled a question to ask Ryan why the new F-150 was introduced when we thought Ford would stop at the Ranger, already awesomely huge at 5,354mm long, 1,860mm high, and 1,821mm wide.
But no. Bigger is better at Ford it seems. And because it can. It does.
Having said that juxtaposes me in the same cabin as Sam YG who introduced the new pick up and presented its features in his chatty and usually irreverent manner. He is seemingly perfect person to haul the truck over to some grassy fields somewhere to prove that indeed, a truck as heavy and as luxurious as this can have some proper off road time.
The F-150 is iconic. Not only in America but to the world. The pick-up is an not only an American invention, it is a Ford invention. Thus this massive pick-up should be without a doubt be classified amongst the trucks. It has, in this latest reincarnation, retained its oomph, added a lot more style and class coupled to a properly massive, and thirsty engine to propel it forward.
That engine is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 capable of 375hp at 5,000rpm and 637Nm of torque at 3,500rpm mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. And in this case, gas guzzler is a relative term. If you have the P2.998M to buy the 4×4 Platinum SuperCrew AT, or even just P P2,698M to get the 4×2 Lariat SuperCrew AT, gas-guzzling should not be a problem.
To say that the F-150 is large is a miscalculation. It is massive! The length of four concrete street separators and almost 3/4ths the width of a lane in EDSA. Summed up that is 5,890mm long and 2,029mm wide. The size brings with it a 3,683mm wheelbase, which in turn should bring an ultra-comfortable ride on road.
The F-150 comes in two kinds. The 4×4 which has enough traction to take it further off-road than the rough patch in the golf course, and a tamer 4×2 which I believe will be a best seller. Why? Because even it the two pick-ups show significant ride height and ground clearance between them the politicos or rich “kapitans” of industry who will be seen driving or being driven in these pick-ups will rarely bring it off-road. Instead, they will use it to tow their yachts, Hobie cats, or ATVs.
For safety, Ford lists the adaptive cruise control, and a lane-keeping system, the pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking, a 360-degree camera, and what could be better for such a large beast but its Active Park Assist.
I can only describe what it says in the online brochure and what SamYG talks about the F-150’s cockpit, the word he says comes from the root word “pit.” With all that machismo oozing from this car, the dark ash wood (made of real trees) and aluminum trim sort of softens that punch. But 8-inch touchscreen SYNC 3 infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay comes with a 10 Bang & Olufsen speakers of various frequencies.
Ford bravely goes where no pick-up has gone before. In this time of the pandemic, it has identified a niche in the market, bravely wanting to get back to the open roads, in a car that has abilities as wide as its track and as long as its wheelbase.
