Is the diesel Ford F-150 a game-changer?

The Ford F-150 was a top-selling full-size pickup truck of Ford Philippines in the early 90s and 2000s. It brought to the table a large bed and a powerful selection of gasoline engines. While these initial models disappeared before the 2010s, the Blue Oval brought the nameplate back again in 2019 with a V6 twin-turbo gasoline engine under the hood.

While this was a win for those who wanted the full-size pickup truck back in our local market, a few comments were asking why Ford decided to bring it in with just a gasoline engine when diesel was the popular choice at the time. 

This time, however, Ford has listened to its customers and brought in the 2022 model F-150 with a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine at its heart. This now begs the question, with the new diesel powerplant under the hood, could this F-150 be a game-changer?

As previously mentioned there was an outcry for a diesel variant of the F-150 to be brought into the Philippines. Luckily Ford heard this cry and brought in the 2022 model with a turbo-diesel under the hood. It makes 249 hp and 596 Nm of torque which is sent to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. While this new engine does come with more low-end grunt compared to the old twin-turbo V6, its power figures are a little bit lower than its predecessor. This also puts in on part with the rest of the lineup of Ford Philippines such as the Ford Everest and Ford Ranger which both come with turbo diesel engines under their hoods.

Aside from this, the turbo-diesel motor also requires low sulfur diesel to function optimally which can be a tough task especially since most of the diesel fuels available here are high in sulfur. Don’t worry as there are gasoline stations such as Shell and Petron that do sell low sulfur diesel fuel, but it comes at a slightly higher price. That begin said, Ford has listened to its customers, but the time isn’t on point thanks to global issues that have raised the price of diesel to be nearly on par with gasoline

The diesel F-150 brings with it many of the luxuries one might expect from a vehicle of its size and price point. You get the latest and greatest tech that Ford has to offer in the pickup truck along with premium materials and conveniences for the cabin of the vehicle. Power seats are present along with a heated and ventilated function. It also comes with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and intelligent access with a push-button start system. To further bring in natural light and add ambiance to the vehicle, it also comes with a twin-panel moonroof and ice-blue ambient lighting. 

With the new dashboard and interior comes a new range of technology to be added to the vehicle. At the heart of the dashboard rests a new 12-inch infotainment system that comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Aside from this, the pickup truck also gets dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control and an 8-speaker B&O sound system that also comes with a subwoofer. 

The new tech doesn’t just stop there as the F-150 also comes with Ford’s latest Co-Pilot 360 technology. This gives the behemoth of a pickup truck access to features such as pre-collision with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, auto high beam, reverse sensing system, reverse brake assist, and post-collision braking just to name a few. It also gets features such as intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane centering, sign recognition, and evasive steering assist. All these features and more make the truck safer, easier to maneuver, and even more attractive.

With the new model comes the latest in the design language from Ford. The new diesel F-150 now comes with a more modern new look which includes the Lariat Sport Package: This gives the pickup truck a dark gray grille, front skid elements, fender badges, body-color bumpers, and Sport decals just to name a few.

It also comes with a full complement of LED lighting for both the headlights and the taillights. Aside from this, it also comes with 20-inch dark alloy wheels that are wrapped in 275/60 series tires to handle all the torque that the new to the Philippines engine is pushing out. 

Despite all the premium features you can find inside the diesel F-150 it's still a workhorse at heart. Its 4x4 system lets you go almost anywhere you need to go and thanks to its new engine it can tow up to 14,000 lbs which is great especially if you need it to haul a boat, cargo, or farm equipment over long distances. It also comes with a transmission cooler to give you a worry-free towing experience.

The Ford F-150 has come a long way in terms of what it once was in the early 90s. It has become even more powerful and more technologically advanced since it arrived in the local market. That being said, if the fuel prices were to stabilize, the new version of the pickup truck could be a game-changer. It carries all the features needed for it to dominate its segment and comes with the very feature that Filipinos asked it to come with before, a diesel engine.