The loaded Ford F-150 Lariat

While Ford Philippines offers the most expansive lineup of pickup trucks in the Philippines with 13 trims of the Ranger, including the Raptor, it did however scrimp on the F-Series models.

We only get the F-150 and, of the seven trims available in the US market, we only get two. Of these, the entry-level unit is the Lariat, which is somewhat of a mid-trim in the US, just above the XL and the XLT.

Well, before we get to the vehicle itself, let’s define what a “lariat” actually is. As per Oxford Languages, a lariat is a rope used a lasso or for tethering. You can’t get any more American with a nameplate from an American automaker than a word that refers to an item used by cowboys.

Now on to the pickup truck it represents, the Ford F-150 3.5L V6 EcoBoost 4x2 Lariat AT (automatic transmission).

By and large, the Lariat doesn’t fall too far behind the higher-trim Platinum when it comes to features and capabilities. It is just as big, though not as tall, and comes with just as many amenities and that’ll make truck lovers drool.

While it may not be noticeable to the naked eye and you’ll definitely need a measuring stick for this, the Lariat is 41mm shorter but is just as long (5,890mm), wide (2,029mm), and has the same wheelbase (3,683mm) as its sibling.

As commanding as its presence and stance is, the Lariat’s body has much less chrome as its sideview mirrors, door handles, and even the two parallel bars on the grille are painted in its body color, and the headlamp design is plainer.

It sports body color bumpers, has daytime running lamps, quad-beam LED (light emitting diode) headlamps, LED fog lamps, heated power-adjustable (with memory, turn indicators, and auto-dimming feature) power-folding high-intensity LED security approach lamps sideview mirrors, remote keyless entry system, remote start system, pickup box rail and tailgate moldings, pickup box tie-down hooks, drop-in bedliner, LED taillamps, high-mount stop lamp with cargo lamp, LED trailer hookup light, removable tailgate with key lock, and remote tailgate release, running board.

What it doesn’t have is the Platinum variant tailgate step with tailgate lift assist, front skid plates, power-deployable running boards, and a twin panel moonroof.

On its chassis are vented disc brakes (front and rear), electric power-assisted steering with Normal, Comfort, and Sport modes, gas-pressurized twin-tube front and staggered outboard-mounted rear shock absorbers, and long-spindle double-wishbone coil-over-shock independent front suspension.

The Lariat also has a 3.15 non-limited slip rear axle, 20-inch dark alloy aluminum wheels on 275/55 R20 tires.

Powering it is a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 with auto Start-Stop function. It sends 375hp and 637Nm of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift straight to a 4x2 drive layout. It has a fuel tank capacity of 98 liters.

The interior sports a 10-way power climate-controlled leather driver’s seat with memory, 10-way power climate-controlled leather front-passenger seat, and 60:40 split one-touch flip-up (includes folding armrest with cupholder) leather rear seats.

It has dual-zone automatic temperature control, Intelligent Access with Push-Button Start, driver and passenger illuminated vanity mirrors on the sun visor, LED front dome and map lights, an illuminated entry system, power door locks with auto lock feature, power windows with one-touch up and down in front, auto dimming rearview mirrors, power-tilt and telescopic steering wheel column with memory function, leather-wrapped steering wheels with heather function, power-adjustable accelerator and brake pedals with memory function, Ice Blue ambient lighting, and eight-inch LCD (liquid crystal display), capacitive touchscreen, Sync3 with Applink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, two smart-charging USB ports, a 12V power point, a navigation system with pinch-to-zoom capability, and eight-inch productivity screen in the instrument cluster, and a 10-speaker B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen with subwoofer.

Driver-assist technologies are 360-degree camera with split-view display, Active Park Assist, Curve Control, Hill Start Assist, SOS Post-Crash Alert System, Trailer Sway Control, rain-sensing wipers, and a reverse sensing system.

The Ford Co-Pilot 360 also comes standard even on the Lariat. These include Pre-collision assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning and Dynamic Brake Support, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert and Trailer Tow Monitoring, Lane-Keeping System, and auto high-beam headlamps.

For increased safety, the Lariat also has AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control), dual-stage front airbags, front-seat side airbags and Safety Canopy system with side-curtain airbags and rollover sensor, safety belt pretensioner, safety belt energy-management retractors, safety belt usage sensors, driver’s seat position sensors, crash severity sensor, restraint control module, front-passenger sensing system, individual Tire Pressure Monitoring system, SecuriLock Passive Anti-Theft system, anti-lock brakes with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution), perimeter alarm, and rear safety belts.

The F-150 3.5L V6 EcoBoost 4x2 Lariat AT is priced at P2.698 million.

Photos from Ford Philippines