What's the difference?
The Ford F-150 Platinum – the new top-shelf variant in the company’s F Series truck range – has arrived in Australia as part of the a refreshed line-up.
This full-sized dual-cab ute has a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, myriad drive modes and 4500kg towing capacity and, as such, is regarded as a rival for the likes of the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra.
But with a price-tag tickling $164,000 before on-road costs and at a smidge under six metres long, is this big rig simply too big and too expensive?
We’re testing the short wheelbase (SWB) version this time, so let’s get into it.
Zeekr is making waves in Australia at the moment but it's not because of the car you see before you.
Nope, it’s the 7X mid-size SUV that’s captured a heap of attention and a whole lot of sales. In fact, of the 1832 sales the brand has managed over the first three months of 2026, just 54 were for the X.
But that was the old X and this is the new one. With more power, more performance, faster charging and a whole heap of pretty special equipment, especially for the small SUV segment.
So, is that enough to finally put the X on the map?
The Ford F-150 Platinum SWB is good but not great.
It has plenty of standard features onboard and some handy touches, it’s nice to drive on-road, and is adequately capable off-road but it lacks the overall plushness its price-tag promises.
The F-150’s smaller sibling, the Ranger Super Duty, does all of this F Truck’s jobs better, has more general appeal and all-round driveability, and it costs much less than the F-150.
Yet I can still see the appeal of the Ford F-150 Platinum SWB. As a potential purchase, it might make a lot more sense to you than me.
It's a good thing in a small package, this Zeekr X, and there are a lot of things I like about it. In fact, the only sticking point for me is the price. But that's all about perspective. If you see this as a newcomer Chinese brand, then yes, there are a lot of more affordable options out there. But if you see it as a premium player, it's really a more affordable version of a Volvo.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.