2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review | Philkotse Philippines

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Highway cruiser

Pickup trucks are popular in the Philippine market for obvious reasons. With their versatility, functionality, and competitive pricing, car brands are continually pitting and upgrading their respective challengers. In this arena, the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, and Mitsubishi Strada are the first to come to mind.

However, Ford Philippines had other plans and wants to capitalize on the Ranger’s success in the local market as it brings back a familiar pickup truck, the 2020 Ford F-150.

The 2020 Ford F-150

During its launch, Ford PH told Philkotse.com that the positive sales performance of the Ranger Raptor gave the brand confidence to bring back and offer the Ford F-150 once again. In terms of size, the 2020 F-150 Lariat variant is way larger than the Ranger with a difference of 536 mm in length, 169 mm in width, and 99 mm in height. 

With that in mind, we asked ourselves what could be the target market of the 2020 F-150. Considering its size, this truck might not be an ideal workhorse in the tight urban jungle landscape. To find that out, we took the 2020 F-150 Lariat for a drive. Here’s Philkotse’s Ford F-150 2020 Philippines review.

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Exterior

The 2020 Ford F-150 Lariat is a massive pickup that comes with a bold, composed, and confident stance. This variant comes with a price tag of Php 2,698,000.

The exterior of the truck gives you the impression that it’s a no-nonsense vehicle and that it’s ready to do work anytime and drive through almost anywhere. It’s like Kawhi Leonard, an NBA star that doesn’t speak much but lets his basketball skills do all the talking instead.

The 2020 Ford F-150 in its natural habitat

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The 2020 Ford F-150 Lariat exterior has a large grille along with sharp-looking quad-beam LED headlights. The grille and the headlights, which look like the F-150’s shield and ax, are two things that give this truck a bold and confident stance.

However, we think that black trim or the grey trim seen on the top-spec Platinum variant on the grille looks better as it gives the F-150’s face an accent and more flavor. Its wide fender flares further highlight its bold stance, which in turn gives the truck a muscular appeal. On the other hand, the bumper that’s integrated with fog lamps and black trim complement to the F-150’s overall front end design.

The F-150's fender flares add to the truck's muscular appeal

The side of this Ford truck features a typical pickup design. The design of this F-150’s 20-inch dark alloy wheels is straightforward and complements well in keeping the overall muscular appeal of the truck. Another thing we like at this truck is that almost all of the things you see on its side come in red body-color.

We like this design approach because it’s simple and straightforward, which is how a pickup truck should be. This F-150 also has a side step board, which makes it easier for you to climb in and out of the truck. And oh, this truck also comes with an antenna, which brings an old school vibe to it.

The truck's C-shaped taillights give the F-150's rear a distinctive look

The rear, on the other hand, is fitted with wraparound C-shaped taillights along with a chiseled tailgate that’s integrated with an engraved F-150. Of note, you can open the tailgate of this truck remotely using its key fob. Nifty. Overall, the rear of the 2020 F-150 Lariat is simple yet imposing.

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Interior

Inside, the latest Ford F-150 comes with a black interior theme along with silver trims. The cabin is straightforward and comes with car-like features, which has been the trend in modern pickup trucks. It comes with leather seats that will make you comfortable especially in long drives.

The F-150’s car-like interior is further emphasized through the soft-touch materials around the cabin as well as the truck’s leather steering wheel, which is light and easy to steer despite its size.

The 2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat comes with a car-like interior

The rear passenger area is one of the things we liked in the 2020 Ford F-150 interior as it offers generous leg-, elbow-, and head-room. It can accommodate up to three individuals but the ideal rear passenger count is up to two fully grown adults so that you can maximize the ride comfort the F-150 has to offer.

We’re sure that rear passengers will never complain about space and comfort. Speaking of which, the F-150’s rear passenger area comes with aircon vents as well as two USB charging ports. With that, there’s no need to take out your power bank in case your phone needs extra juice.

Look at all that space

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2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Technology

The F-150 is equipped with a power-adjustable accelerator and brake pedals that help you get your preferred driving position easier. It also has 10-way power seats as well as a tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, which allows you to get your most preferred driving position.    

In addition, placed right at the center of the dashboard is an 8-inch LCD multimedia touchscreen that’s integrated with Ford Sync 3 as well as Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility. The screen also shows a 360-degree view of the truck once you put the gear in reverse.

Moreover, this F-150 comes with Ford’s Co-Pilot driver assist technology that includes several features such as pre-collision assist, adaptive cruise control, auto high-beam headlamps, among many others. In case you’re an audiophile, the truck comes with a 10-speaker sound system with a subwoofer by Bang & Olufsen.

Setting your preferred driving position is easy

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Safety

The F-150 is never lacking in safety features. It comes with roll stability control, an ensemble of airbags, an anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, a hill start assist, a blind-spot monitoring system, lane-keeping assist, among many others. Indeed, the F-150 gives you confidence and peace of mind during your drives.

The F-150's 360-degree camera view

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Engine & Performance

Under the hood, the 2020 F-150 Lariat is powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 gasoline engine that delivers 375 hp and 637 Nm of torque. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, and since this is a 4x2 variant, power is sent to the rear wheels.

You can open the tailgate of this truck remotely using its key fob

Driving the F-150 in the urban jungle is nice, and we lose count of how many people stared at this truck while driving it around. However, this truck is not the most ideal vehicle to be driven within the tight city streets of Metro Manila due to its massive size. The length and width of the F-150 could be an issue when you’re looking for a parking space in the metro. Aside from its size, another thing to consider is the F-150’s fuel consumption when driven around the city. In case you’re wondering, we registered a fuel economy of 5.6 km/l while driving this truck around the city.

2020 Ford F-150's capable engine

The 2020 F-150 shines most when driven in the open highway since you can enjoy the truck’s full potential. The power delivery of the F-150 is on point and it will not let you down whenever you want to overtake the slower vehicle in front. The F-150’s engine is relaxed when driven at highway speeds. The engine rpm sits around the 1,500 mark when the truck is being driven at speeds of 100 km/h.

The steering is also stable when you’re driving the F-150 in highway speeds, which gives you confidence behind the wheel. In addition, the ride comfort is good and the F-150’s sound insulation reduces outside noise to a minimum. In terms of fuel economy, we got 11.3 km/l while driving at an average speed of 90 km/h.

The 2020 Ford F-150 has a bold fascia

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2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Conclusion

Clearly, the 2020 Ford F-150 is a pickup truck that you would appreciate when you go for long highway drives. It has great engine performance, it is stable on the road, and it’s a truck integrated with creature friendly features. The way we see it, this truck is a highway cruiser that’s perfect for road trips to La Union, Subic, or Batangas.

Overall, the 2020 F-150 Lariat is a well-capable truck that comes with no-nonsense features as well as a straightforward yet imposing exterior design. So yeah, we still can’t help but compare it to Kawhi Leonard.

Look at that fascia

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Price & Variants

>>> Related: Ford F-150 for sale at affordable price on Philkotse

2020 Ford F-150 4x2 Lariat Review: Specs

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