"These vehicles have legendary status in Australia," says Commercial Vehicle Marketing Manager, Kevin Lillie.

"The new F-Series 'super duty' will build on that legend. These are definitely big trucks, with everything that makes a truck great in terms of strength, performance and safety, but they also have class-leading comfort and style."

Buyers of the new F250 and F350 will also have the added security of knowing their vehicle was factory-built RHD and comes complete with the full endorsement and warranty of Ford Australia.

Available in both 4x4 and 4x2 form, the F250 and F350 range includes both chassis cab and pick-up body styles, as well as a choice of three cab styles - single, super and crew cab*. Engine options include a 5.4 litre petrol V8, a 4.2 litre turbo charged diesel I6, and a 7.3 litre turbo charged diesel V8, with manual or automatic transmission.**

Power and torque figures for each engine are:

• 132kW @ 3400rpm and 500Nm @1600rpm for the 4.2L diesel 16;
• 175kW @ 2600rpm and 684Nm at 1800rpm for the 7.3L inter-cooled turbo diesel V8; and
• 194kW @ 4500rpm and 475Nm @2500rpm for the 5.4L petrol V8.

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*Super and crew cab on sale from December, 2001.

**Not all combinations available. Please check detailed specification sheet for further information.

"Maximum power and torque on all three engines is produced very low in the rev range allowing for maximum pulling power. The 7.3 litre inter-cooled turbo V8 in particular is a great driving experience - it has so much grunt that it actually comes closer to a Newton-kilometre than a Newton-metre!" says Kevin.

Both F250 and F350 come in two specification levels - XL and the more upmarket XLT. All vehicles come standard with airconditioning, power steering, power mirrors, and LSD, while the list of XLT extras includes dual airbags, power windows, cruise control, and alloy wheels on F250 models.

"The list of standard features on these trucks is second-to-none," says Kevin.

"F-Series builds on the character of Ford's class-leading light truck range, which shows our customers they can have a work-horse vehicle without having to sacrifice passenger car levels of comfort."

F250 XL trucks include:

• Front disc brakes
• 144 litre fuel tank (single and super cab)
• 114 litre fuel tank (crew cab)
• Shift on the fly on all 4x4s.
• Cloth trimmed seats in two standards of trim.

The F250 XLT includes all of the above but also adds:

• Pick-up box
• Alloy wheels
• Power windows
• Dual airbags
• Chromed front and rear bumper
• Cruise control
• Engine and load box light
• 4-wheel ABS
• LT 265/75 R16 tyres
• "Captain's Chair" style bucket seats with fold-away armrests.

"The F250 XLT is targeted at dual-purpose buyers who are looking for a vehicle to take onto the worksite during the week and to tow the boat or horse-float on the weekend. The long list of features available on this model allows them to do all this and more," says Kevin.

Key features on both the XL and XLT F350 include:

• Front and rear disc brakes
• 152 litre fuel tank
• ABS brakes
• Shift on the fly on all 4x4s
• Cloth trimmed seats in two standards of trim.

The XLT F350 also adds:

• Dual airbags
• Alloy wheels
• Chromed front and rear bumper
• Cruise control
• Power windows
• Bucket/console/bucket seats
• LT265/75 R16 tyres

"Both the F250 and F350 have key features that are unique to the Australian market," says Kevin. "They are factory built right-hand-drive in Brazil, but our engineers had a significant impact into their development for our local conditions. A local fleet evaluation program has been running in Australia for more than 2.5 years, covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres."

One of the key actions derived from the Australian testing was the development of a "Quadra-shock" rear suspension system for the F250 to ensure occupant comfort while traversing the "washboard" dirt roads prevalent throughout Australia. It also handles bitumen surfaces without making the ride too firm.

Other key functional items, including air filters, door seals and engine fixtures, have all been tailored to handle Australian conditions.