Facelifted Ford F-150 set for Detroit debut in September

A heavily upgraded 2024 Ford-F-150 will be unwrapped at the Detroit motor show on September 13, featuring fresh styling, new technology and revisions to the engine line-up.

News of the upgrade comes as the first batch of pre-facelift pick-up trucks is understood to have arrived in Australia for right-hand drive conversion in Melbourne ahead of first deliveries to customers during this quarter.

Already spotted testing on roads near the Blue Oval’s Michigan HQ, the upgraded Ford F-150 will include a redesigned lower bumper, fresh grille and revised headlights, depending on trim.

There have been reports overseas that the Detroit unveiling could herald an all-new 15th-generation F-Series, after Ford CEO Jim Farley told investors on a Q2 earnings call: “We plan to introduce ... an all-new F-150 and F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid at the Detroit show in September.”

But the “all-new” model isn’t due until 2026, and Ford is unlikely to reveal its next-generation truck three years out from launch.

During the call, Farley said the current F-150, which was unveiled back in 2020, was outpacing the current pick-up truck market by nearly three times.

Most changes for the 2024 facelift are believed to concentrate on the cabin, with a larger infotainment system to be introduced plus a new digital instrument cluster.

Other changes should involve an overhaul of the electrified PowerBoost engine that combines a 3.5-litre V6 with an electric motor that, in total, produces 320kW and 773Nm.

Expect more power and improved efficiency, something that could be replicated among the other non-electrified petrol engines.

More details are expected to be revealed in the build-up to the 2024 Ford F-150’s unveiling.

The facelifted version will feed into the factory-backed Australian right-hand drive conversion program managed by RMA Automotive, but probably not until next year.

Pricing for Australia’s F-150s start at $106,950 plus on-road costs for the entry-level short-wheelbase 2023 Ford F-150 XLT SWB.

Opting for the long-wheelbase derivative adds another $995 to the equation ($107,945 plus ORCs), while the plusher Lariat SWB can be had from $139,950 plus ORCs – plus another $945 for the LWB ($140,945).

Australian-spec F-150s come with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol that musters 298kW and 678Nm of torque.

It combines with a 10-speed automatic that allows for a maximum 4500kg braked towing capacity for all model grades.

When the F-150 returns to our market it will end a 15-year hiatus of the F-Series in Australia, through official channels at least.

The F-150 (and the F-100 that preceded it) was sold intermittently across several generations here from the 1970s to the 1990s before the factory-backed, Brazilian-converted Ford F-250 and F-350 were sold Down Under from 2001-2008.

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