Ford aims to entice a huge swathe of the Australian market to ditch their current ride for the latest American-built, ladder-frame F-150 full-size pickup. Our Iconic Silver tester sat close to the top of the range – the Lariat SuperCrew 4×4 – priced at around $67,000.

It’s a big ask for anyone to justify paying that kind of ford lariat for sale for a truck, but it’s fair to say that the local-conversion F-150 isn’t short on equipment. Mechanically there’s little to separate the XLT and the flagship Lariat – both get Ford’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 producing 298kW/768Nm with a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic. They roll on the same 20-inch alloys and carry the same 4500kg braked towing capacity. Both offer a comprehensive list of active safety gear, though the Lariat goes further with smart adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a 360-degree camera system, lane-keep assist, forward collision mitigation, and blind-spot detection (with trailer coverage).

Ford F-150 Lariat for Sale: Your Ultimate Guide

The Lariat also gains an extra storage bin beneath the rear seats that’s missing on XLT models. And the bigger 8.0-inch centre screen is easier to see in such a broad cabin than the XLT’s smaller display.

On the outside, the XLT looks a lot like a Lariat but it does lose some styling touches. A chrome pack is available that adds lashings of exterior gloss to the grille, bumpers, mirrors, and running boards. And it’s easy to pick out a Lariat by the bigger chrome accents on its front and rear bumpers. Inside, both models come with leather upholstery and a pair of 12-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. They both gain zone lighting and a lockable tailgate release along with keyless entry, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and an eight-inch touch display in the dashboard.