Ever since the Ford Cargo ceased production in England in the late ‘90s, the renowned multifaceted, multi-weight truck range continued to be produced and sold in Eastern Europe through Ford Otosan, based in Turkey, with great success.
Over the decades, numerous modifications and variations were made and created to cater for national and regional distribution, municipal and construction applications.
In the past decade, Ford Otosan, jointly owned by the Ford Motor Company and the Turkish Koç Group has invested heavily in designing a new range of trucks with the objective to export broadly across Europe initially and then other global markets. The first of part of reaching this goal was with the development and launch of a totally new heavy duty truck range, the F-Max in 2018. Powered by its own Ford engineered 12.7-litre Euro6 diesel, the F-Max has made an impact at its home and into Europe with a no-nonsense, good value, economical tractor-unit.
This week at a special event in Antalya, attended by Fleet Transport, Ford Trucks launched the new addition to the family, the F-Line, which affectively replaces the complete Cargo series.
Available as a tractor-unit and rigid, with a selection of cab types – day/sleeper, with low/high roof heights, as well as a choice of wheelbases.
Practically all axle configurations are covered from 4×2/6×2 tractors to 4×2/6/2/6×4/8×4 construction to 4×2/6×2/6×4/8×2 rigids.
Powering the new line-up is a varied output choice from Ford’s own 9.0 & 12.7-litre EcoTorq Euro 6E diesels, offering from 330, 420 to 450 & 480 horsepower respectively, mated to either a 9-speed manual or ZF automated transmission for the 9-litre or a new in-house developed 16-speed automated gearbox for the 12.7-litre.
The spacious interior is typical Ford with many components and switchgear supplied from the company’s parts department.
Alas, it will be another few years before the F-Line or F-Max enters the UK & Ireland markets.
