Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum Review

The Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum is one of the latest versions of the most popular vehicles of all time. It has been the best-selling truck in America for 43 years. It’s a favorite because of how capable, innovative, reliable and configurable it is. The Ford F-150 includes three cab sizes, five engine/powertrain choices, three bed lengths and six trim levels. Napleton News had the chance to spend the week in the 2021 Ford F-150 4×4 Supercrew Hybrid Platinum series pickup truck. In addition to being a mouthful, it’s one very capable truck. Here’s our report.

F150 Hybrid: The Swiss Army Knife of trucks.

The Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum is like the proverbial Swiss Army knife. It has tons of attachments and can help get you into or out of a variety of situations. It can be ordered in a standard cab configuration, an expanded cab or, like our example, a SuperCrew Cab. Power comes from a choice of engines contingent on which trim level a buyer selects. These include the XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited models.

Powertrains include a 3.3-liter V6, a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6, a 5.0-liter V8, a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 and our powerplant, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 Ecoboost engine producing 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque. It is matched to a 10-speed hybrid automatic transmission with a motor generator built inside. It’s good for a very stout 12,700 pounds of towing capability and nearly 700 miles of range on a tank of fuel. But if you need to hitch more, choose the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with Max Trailer Tow Package. This kit is good to tow up to 14,000 pounds of trailer, boat or what-have-you.

Rear-wheel or four-wheel drive are the drive choices with the F-150 and can take you virtually anywhere and back again. A ten-speed automatic transmission is used throughout the lineup. There are various features that help make your time behind the wheel of the F-150 more than just a rough and tumble experience.

How does the Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum look?

There is no mistaking this F-150 for anything other than a Ford pickup truck. Almost every piece of sheet metal is new here, but from 200-feet away, even a little kid could pick out an F-150 in moving traffic. And then there’s the process of making it your own: there are 11 grille choices and three headlight sets to choose from. They all depend on which model of F-150 you decide to take home with you.

Power deploying running boards are part of the package here, too. They seem just the right size to allow you to get in and out of your cab. This way, you keep your pants clean when tossing your keys to the valet at the country club.

Going further, the pickup bed of the F-150 really spoiled us. Pull up the lever to see the tailgate gently lower to the open position. Push the button on the gate to have it go up again. But that’s not all. The tailgate surface includes rulers, cupholders, clamp pockets, and pencil, smartphone or tablet holders to watch Youtube DIY videos. Finally, the pull-out steps help make loading and unloading the bed a breeze.

At the rear, Ford’s Pro Power Onboard inverter is standard with a 2.4 KW inverter for electric power tools.

Ford F150 Hybrid Truck Interior

The interior of the Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum has undergone a total transformation that causes an intersection of working utility, luxury and practicality all in one vehicle. It is at home as a work vehicle, a family hauler and even a partial SUV. The F-150 now features Sync 4, the latest version of Ford’s infotainment system which lives within a 12-inch touchscreen display. Complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it is the hub for everything electronic in your F-150 cab.

Our Platinum Series model includes a vanishing work surface that hides into the lid of the storage bin between the front seats. When needed, unlock the handle at the rear of the lid to fold forward a flat surface. This action creates a desktop where occupants can set up a computer for work at a job site.

Our front seats offered heating and ventilation, as well as a massage function. They also offer a Max Recline function that can lay almost flat if you need to take a nap.

The Ford F-150 is standard with over-the-air updates for software as needed. Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology includes forward collision warning and dynamic brake support. There’s also pre-collision preparation and hill start assist. At the rear, dynamic hitch support helps make it easy to line up your F-150 with a trailer.

Driving the Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum 4×4

The first time we hopped inside the F-150, we became situated and then pushed the starter button. Then nothing. So I pushed it off to try once again. The instrument panel lights up, the gauges come to life and finally, I notice a light reading “Ready” in one of the corners. It turns out the F-150 is so quiet that I didn’t realize the vehicle was turned on. We shift into reverse and back from our parking spot. Shift into drive and we notice a slight hesitation from the 10-speed gearbox.

And we are off.

Acceleration is good once we are past third gear and this larger than large pickup is on the highway, blazing past other trucks and towering over every car we encounter. We turn on the Bang & Olufsen audio system to discover how good our driving playlist sounds, as it comes from the 18 speakers located around the cabin.

The hybrid powertrain runs almost seamlessly without even letting us know it is shifting from the electric motor to the gas engine. But that’s not even the best part. A big truck like the F-150 would be gulping fuel like a drunken sailor would on payday. After an extended drive from West Palm Beach to Port Saint Lucie and back home, we checked the fuel consumption. This truck had barely consumed a 16^th of a tank of fuel. And it showed a range of 612 miles remaining.

We could really get used to a truck like this.

Yeehaw!

Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum Specifications

	2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid Platinum
Popular Powertrains
Engine	3.5-liter twin turbo hybrid powerplant
Horsepower	430 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque	570 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission	10-speed automatic with 4×4
Fuel Economy	24 mpg (24 city/24 hwy)
Also Available	Various trim packages, SuperCab, CrewCab, short and long beds, rear or 4×4.
Specs
Warranty	3 years/36,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty	5 years/60,000 miles
NHTSA Safety Rating	4-star
Max Seating Capacity	5
Wheelbase	145.4 inches
Overall Length	231.7 inches
Width	95.7 inches
Height	79.9 inches
Turning Diameter	41.2 feet
Headroom, Front	40.8 inches
Headroom, Rear	40.3 inches
Legroom, Front	43.9 inches
Legroom, Rear	43.6 inches
Shoulder Room, Front	66.7 inches
Shoulder Room, Rear	66.7 inches
EPA Passenger Volume	N/A
Cargo Volume	2,120 pounds