GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

New models - Ford - F-250

Driven: Performax hauls in Ford F-250 from $105K

Pulling power: Performax hopes to eventually sell 500 Ford F-Series trucks per year, now it has ADR full-volume compliance.

Five-variant Performax Ford F-250 range spans tradie trucker to luxury liner

Gallery

Click to see larger images

5 Sep 2014

THE latest Ford F-250 Super Duty full-size pick-up truck, imported and converted to right-hand drive by Queensland-based Performax International, is now available from $105,000 plus on-road costs.

That opening price secures the base XL variant, while the $115,000 XLT and $127,000 Lariat occupy the middle ground and two luxury top-end options comprise the rural-themed King Ranch and urban warrior Platinum at $134,000 apiece.

All launch variants have the crew cab body style and a diesel four-wheel-drive powertrain but the range otherwise mirrors the five specification levels and eleven colours available in the truck’s native USA.

Each is powered by a 6.7 litre V8 turbo-diesel engine punching out a muscular 328kW of power at 2800rpm and stump-pulling 1166Nm of torque from just 1600rpm, helping achieve a five-tonne towing capacity for hauling palatial caravans, super-sized horse floats, big boats or race car trailers.

Performax general manager Glenn Soper told GoAuto 80 per cent of F-250 sales will be to people for which it serves a serious purpose as a workhorse, with most of the remainder simply wanting the vehicle for its sheer presence, for example as a rolling advertisement for their business.

Although there are no official fuel consumption figures for the F-250, Performax says drivers who are not towing can expect to achieve around 14 litres per 100 kilometres in mixed driving, rising to high teens or low 20s with a trailer hitched up.

Drive is sent through a six-speed automatic transmission with all but the XL getting electronic on-the-fly activation of the part-time four-wheel-drive system.

Standard safety kit across the F-250 range includes electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, roll stability control, trailer sway control, trailer brake control, hill descent control, hill start assist.

Utilitarian XL base variants come with electric windows, electric adjustment for the mirrors and pedals, remote central locking, 17-inch steel wheels, cloth or vinyl upholstery and a chrome grille surround.

Performax director Greg Waters said the XL’s specification exceeds that of the Brazilian-converted F-250 sold here by Ford Australia for around $85,000 between 2001 and 2007 and that his company’s conversion is less compromised.

The XLT adds electric windows, cruise control, alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, manually activated towing mirrors, remote central locking and a chrome grille and front bumper.

Moving up to the Lariat trim level – that Performax expects to be most popular – adds a premium Sony sound system with eight-inch Sync touchscreen, subwoofer and amplifier, tan or black leather upholstery, 10-way electric front seat adjustment, a reversing camera and sensors, automatic headlights, a multi-function steering wheel and a rear differential lock.

Cost options include seat memory, seat heating and cooling, a sunroof, electrical towing mirror activation, remote engine start and 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels.

The rural-themed King Ranch adds premium brown saddle leather upholstery, front seat heating and cooling, memory for the driver’s seat, pedal and mirror adjustment, remote engine start, multi-function dashboard display, self-dimming interior mirror, a unique leather trimmed steering wheel with message centre control, woodgrain trim, a two-tone paint finish with colour-matched bumpers and grille surround and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Options for the King Ranch include a sunroof, a chrome pack, a tailgate step, illuminated side steps and heated rear seats.

Platinum variants get Pecan brown or Charcoal black leather upholstery, a specific woodgrain trim style and a leather/walnut steering wheel plus plenty of chrome bling including tailgate and step, door handles, mirror casings, tow hooks, side steps and a unique grille.

Buyers of this variant can also choose heated rear seats and a sunroof from the options list.

All variants come with the ‘FX4’ off-road pack as standard, primarily as the uprated Rancho shock absorbers improve ride quality for Australian road conditions. The FX4 kit also comprises hill-descent control and underbody protection.

Key features of the Performax conversion from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive include a single steering box (previous versions used two steering boxes), an expanded driver’s footwell with footrest, fully functional dual front and side airbags, original Ford seatbelts all round, a full-sized glovebox and dual batteries kept in their original engine bay location.

The Bluetooth microphone is moved to the right-hand side while upper-spec Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum variants have the door security PIN pad moved to the right-hand front door and the electrically adjustable pedals found on LHD models are also present and correct in the RHD driver’s footwell.

Mr Soper said “old-fashioned conversion methods are no longer acceptable” for buyers of these increasingly sophisticated American trucks.

“In engineering, electronics and final fit and finish, the Performax difference ensures we build every vehicle to factory-original quality standards,” he added.

Performax wholly underwrites the F-250’s four-year, 120,000 kilometre warranty, which according to Mr Soper – an ex-Ford man – has almost identical wording to Ford’s.

He also said that none of the more than 100 new components used in the F-250 conversion are one-off or hand-made, meaning each one is part-numbered, consistent and readily available for spares.

As reported in July, Performax became the first manufacturer to gain Australian Design Rule full-volume compliance for the latest F-250 model, meaning there is no limit to the number of these trucks it can convert.

In addition to a significant engineering investment, Performax must adhere to more rigorous standards than under the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme approval process it still uses for other vehicles, which restricts the number of vehicles that can be imported and sold each year.

After more than 30 years of operation in Victoria, another Ford F-Series converter, Harrison F-Trucks, recently opened a new dealership in Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, 80km south of Gympie-based Performax.

Like Performax, Harrison can offer vehicles converted under full-volume regulations but it also imports and converts the smaller F-150.

“We’re totally confident the 13th generation F-Series we’re building now will be the best ever seen in this country,” said Mr Soper. “With unprecedented levels of performance, capability, safety and comfort, all backed by a comprehensive, competitive warranty and roadside service.”Ford F-250 Pricing*
XL (a)$105,000
XLT (a)$115,000
Lariat (a)$127,000
King Ranch (a)$134,000
Platinum (a)$134,000
*Excludes on-road costs.

Quick tests

Read more

GoAuto can help you buy a new F-250

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

Ford models

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here