New Ford F-250 two months away

The ground-breaking new version of North America's top-selling vehicle, the Ford F-Series, will become available in Australia just two months from now, and priced from under $100,000.

Fresh from releasing the upgraded MY14 Toyota Tundra, American pick-up truck specialist Performax International has confirmed the first right-hand drive F-Series conversions will be delivered from August.

As we reported in December, Performax has received federal government approval for unlimited series-production of the F-Series Super Duty, making the Queensland-based vehicle distributor a fully-accredited car manufacturer.

Performax says it is the first Australian manufacturer to be awarded full-volume ADR compliance for the F-Series under a more rigorous standard than previously required, following a six-month development program led by former GM Holden and Ford Australia engineers at Performax's Gympie HQ.

Now, following the Australian Design Rule (ADR) certification of a 2014 Ford Super Duty F-250 pick-up re-engineered by Performax, the F-Series can be road-registered in all Australian states and territories.

The independent American vehicle importer, which is now ready to produce and supply the F-Series via its Australian dealer network, says the new F-Series will almost double its annual sales.

Performax currently sells around 320 examples of the Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge RAM annually, but now has the capacity to build a further 300 F-250s and F-350s in series.

It will initially offer the Ford F-250 Super Duty crew-cab from less than $100,000 plus on-road costs – significantly less than the MY14 Tundra dual-cab, which is powered by a 5.7-litre petrol V8 and priced from under $120,000.

Higher-spec Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum crew-cab variants of the F-Series will follow, priced at around $125,000 plus on-roads depending on exchange rates.

"This is extremely competitive value when compared on features, work capacity and price with other premium 4WDs," said Performax General Manager, Glenn Soper.

"In addition, buyers of a Performax-built F-Series will have the assurance their vehicle is not just a one-off conversion job, but fully-warranted with production-line quality, consistency and parts availability.

"Previously, providers required individual engineering reports for each individual F-truck manufactured. By qualifying for true full-volume compliance under the new regime, we have proven we are Conformity of Production ready.

"This means that the department has such confidence in the sophistication and rigour of our controls and processes that they have deemed we no longer need to seek engineers' approval on every vehicle we produce."

Soper said he expects healthy demand for the new F-Series from both business and private buyers, given the Blue Oval's largest pick-up continues to be built only in left-hand drive and will not be officially imported by Ford Australia.

"Performax International believes there is good potential from buyers new to the model as well as residual demand from those who bought Brazilian-converted F-250s from Ford Australia between 2001 and 2007," he said.

First released in 1948, the F-Series has been North America's most popular pick-up for 37 years, attracting more than 885,000 buyers in the US and Canada last year.

The 13th generation was previewed by the awe-inspiring Atlas concept at the 2013 Detroit motor show and went on sale in the US this year.

The new F-150 retains its tough body-on-frame construction but 77 per cent of its chassis is now high-strength steel (up from 23 per cent) and kerb weight has reduced by up to 340kg.

Australia's F-250 4x4 will be powered by a 6.7-litre common-rail V8 turbo-diesel engine producing some 294kW of power at 2800rpm, driving through a six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission and shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive system.

With an astonishing 1084Nm of peak torque from just 1600rpm, the PowerStroke V8 oiler will deliver a towing capacity of no less than five tonnes.

Standard safety features will include front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, roll stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control and integrated trailer brake control.

Standard equipment for the base XLT variant includes power windows, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, cloth trim, 17-inch wheels, manual towing mirrors and remote locking.

Lariant models add a reversing camera and sensors, premium Sony sound system, leather trim, 10-way power seat adjustment, an eight-inch colour touch-screen, dash-top storage with plug for MP3, iPod and USB, LCD driver information centre with trip computer, gauges and vehicle apps, power-adjustable pedals, steering wheel controls, automatic headlights, SecuriCode keyless entry keypad and a rear diff lock.

Lariat options include memory seats, heated and cooled seats, power-extendable towing mirrors, off-road suspension pack, remote start, 18 or 20-inch alloy wheels and a sunroof.

In addition, King Ranch variants gain premium Chaparral leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel with King Ranch logo, heated/cooled seats, driver's seat memory, power tow mirrors, remote start, unique 20-inch wheels, unique woodgrain trim, body-coloured bumpers and grille, and two-tone exterior paint.

King Ranch options include a sunroof, off-road pack, chrome pack, inbuilt rear tailgate step, side steps with in-built lights and heated rear seats.

Finally, in addition to all that, the full-house Platinum adds premium leather-clad seating with Platinum logo, unique woodgrain interior trim, a heated leather and walnut steering wheel with message function, unique 20-inch wheels, tailgate step, a unique grille, a satin-chrome tailgate and chromed side steps, door-handles, mirror caps and tow hooks.

Platinum options include the off-road pack, heated rear seats and a sunroof.

All of Performax's F-Series models will come with a four-year/120,000 km warranty including roadside assistance.