Recently 4×4 Australia spied an F-150 being imported into Australia and it is believed Ford’s local division is using the vehicle as a test mule in regards to potentially adding the big pickup to its lineup.

On face value it would make sense. Importers of US pickup trucks have seen a spike in business over recent years with vehicles like the Dodge Ram becoming increasingly popular amongst local buyers. It is logical that Ford would want to tap some of that market with a factory-backed product.

With the car having just arrived it will obviously be some time before Ford Australia makes any announcements as the vehicle will no doubt be subjected to extensive testing and evaluation for local conditions and compliance.

If Ford does decide to add the F-150 to the local range, hopefully we will also receive the high-performance Raptor variant and not just the entry-level workhorse models.

Given the popularity of dual cab utes and the increased family-sized cabin space the bigger F-series trucks offer, if Ford can bring them in at a competitive price then there’s no reason why they would not sell well.

Any showroom presence is no doubt quite some time away if it even eventuates at all, but many importers may already be nervous wondering how much a factory-backed F-150 might impact their own businesses. Obviously Dodge and Chevy fans won’t be lured away to the blue oval in any great numbers, but a company like Ford still has the ability to undercut the little guys on price quite significantly if they choose.

Ford has already shown with the Mustang they can produce RHD vehicles off their assembly lines and keep sticker prices reasonable. The Mustang is also sold in multiple RHD markets, meaning Ford may need to consider introducing the F-series elsewhere around the same time to make the business case viable. Countries like India and South Africa make sense for a vehicle of this size.

The F-truck range would also sit nicely above the Ranger, which already accounts for the largest percentage of Ford sales in Australia, and with the next generation Ranger set to introduce styling similar to the bigger F-series, now could be the perfect time to bring the large pickups to the local market.