2024 Ford F150 Supercrew 3.5L Powerboost (Hybrid) King Ranch Series - Review by David Colman

Unforgettable King of the Road

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

Back in the nineteen-eighties, I road tested my first F-Series Ford pickup. When I reflect on the utter simplicity of that truck's boxy cab, bench seat and tinny bed and compare it to the baroque magnificence of the King Ranch Hybrid I've got this week, it seems like the only connection twixt the two is the Ford nameplate and the designation F. If you have the cash to pair Ford's newly introduced 3.5 liter "PowerBoost Full Hybrid" drivetrain with "Equipment Group 601A" (King Ranch Series) you'll end up with a buckaroo of a pickup you will never forget.

Let's start by analyzing the selling points of the full hybrid. Why would you opt for the optional hybrid when Ford still offers lots of gas-only options for the F Series. The motor range starts with a twin turbocharged 2.7 liter V-6 engine good for 325hp, jumps to a 3.5-liter twin turbo V-6 making 400hp, and tops out with the legendary 5.0 liter V-8, also rated at 400hp. The reason you'd pop for the hybrid is because it not only offers an extra 30hp over the V8, but an extra 70lb.-ft. of towing torque. Cap those advantages with better mileage (23MPG Overall), which contributes to a driving range of more than 700 miles between fuel replenishments. Just the range boost alone is a significant advantage none of the gas models come close to matching.

A second reason for hybrid selection is sheer speed. I nailed the throttle of the King Ranch after a freeway onramp metering light turned green, and kept my foot planted until the speedometer needle swept past 60mph. I could not believe anything weighing 5,800 pounds could accelerate with the ferocity this Ford exhibited. Tests have shown that the hybrid is in fact slightly quicker than even the vaunted V8 in the Raptor, turning in 0-0mph times of 5.4 seconds and running the standing start quarter mile in 13.9 seconds. For a truck as lavishly detailed as the King Ranch model, the acceleration times are simply mind bending. Even more persuasive is the fact that the 3.5L Full Hybrid adds just $1,900 to the bottom line.

Currently, the last bastion of intelligent cockpit design can be found in styling studios specializing in truck interiors. Since most of these vehicles are primarily geared to appeal to drivers who actually work from their truck cabs, the silly control panel frippery that has degraded passenger cars and SUVs is blessedly absent from most truck cabs. In particular, the F series panel layout resembles the cockpit of an aircraft, with every switch and knob clearly labeled with fixed ID tabs. We particularly loved the fan control, which provides a protruding chrome flip switch. This simple piece of engineering works so much better than the annoying digital sliders that have become standard fare today. Ford's paddle fan switch makes life simple: push up for more fan, down for less. The meaty seat-side controls for the King Ranch's plush Barcalounger style chairs are also straightforward and large enough to be manipulated by gloved hands. The "bucket" front seats themselves are 10-way power adjustable, finished in a serenely soft cocoa leather, and fitted with massaging functions, ventilation and heating. The rear buckets also enjoy heating enhancement, and can be folded flat for lockable storage use. A full dozen King Ranch "w" logos abound throughout the interior. Particularly notable is the repetitive "w" filigree across the dash and atop the door cards. No fewer than seven exterior ”KR" emblems distinguish Ford's top line model from lesser F-Series pickups. When you're behind the heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel of a King Ranch truck, Ford doesn't let you forget your good fortune.

Considering its girth, the 4x4 Supercrew felt surprisingly agile when handling secondary roads with bad pavement. It's fitted with dazzling 22 inch "Premium Painted Rims with Chrome Inserts" mounting 275/50R22 General Grabber "extra load rated mud and snow" radials with a rock hard rubber rating of TW 660. These monster truck tires jack the hybrid's cabin far enough off the pavement to necessitate using power retractable running boards to facilitate cabin entry. As you near the locked King Ranch cab, the boards automatically extend, the cabin interior illuminates, the doors unlock themselves, and the driver's seat slides back to ease entry. Once seated, you press the fat starter button which actuates yet another series of programmed events like the forward slide of the driver's seat to a predetermined position.

Grasp the enormous chromed shift lever to engage Drive (no push buttons here), and this cosmetically and mechanically special F-150 states its case as that the PowerBoost Hybrid King Ranch is very much King of the Road.

2024 FORD F-150 SUPERCREW 3.5L POWERBOOST KING RANCH

• ENGINE: 3.5 liter V6, twin turbocharged and intercooled + AC Motor and 1.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack
• HORSEPOWER: 430hp (combined)
• TORQUE: 570lb.-ft. (combined)
• FUEL ECONOMY: 22MPG City/24 MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $78,155

HYPES: Huge Torque Output; Trailer Towing Champ

GRIPES: Behemoth Size Ill-Suited to Urban Streetscape

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman