Carwow may have started off as a British YouTube channel, but it’s one of the most popular automotive places on YouTube. As such, about two years ago, Mat Watson tested some cars in America, including pickups (and Dodge muscle cars). As demand for “exotic” overseas vehicles grows, a brand new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is now up for review in the UK.
This is a pretty unusual thing to see. While there are people who buy into the cowboy dream and have a Raptor or a regular F-150 in the UK, it’s pretty rare. And the Lightning is Ford’s first all-electric pickup, with plenty of unusual features.
The F-150 Lightning is not officially for sale in the UK. Unlike a Ford Mustang, they didn’t put the steering wheel on the right. No F-150 is listed on their official website since the Ranger is the only pickup they’ve got on sale. But this one is clearly registered, and specialist companies like Clive Sutton can take care of modifying and importing American Raptor, a Shelby or a Bronco, so they could cover a Lightning as well.
Mind you, it’s not going to be cheap. According to Carwow, a base F-150 Lightning would be the equivalent of £41,000, however, the range-topping Platinum version we have here will set you back close to £90,000. It’s obviously very unusual in Britain, plus it’s got a number of practical features.
The review goes over things like the ample cabin space, the large infotainment screen, and the Lightning’s showpiece: a “400-liter frunk” big enough to house Mat Watson himself. It’s not a groundbreaking review, but there is a certain stigma with pickups in the UK because of old Top Gear calling them pointless. If I remember correctly, this dates all the way back to the old Ford Lightning which Jeremy Clarkson drove, but the footage is so ancient you can’t find it anywhere nowadays. New Top Gear isn’t anything like that; they’ll film anything in the UK, including the Hennessey 1000 hp modified Ram TRX.
And while the F-150 is admittedly too big for British roads and parking spots, people’s perception has changed a lot in the last couple of decades since Clarkson started the pickup-hating mob. SUVs are everywhere, even though he hates those too. And a Range Rover, BMW X7, or Rolls-Royce Cullinan is just as out-of-place in an English village.
Five annoying things about the F-150 Lightning?
Probably the most entertaining part of Mat Watson’s review is his famous “5 annoying things.” The first is a fake charge port cover on the right front fender to match the one on the other side. Not many people point that out. The unlocking pad on the driver’s door is kind of pointless and ugly, while the payload rating of this electric vehicle is quite low for a full-sized truck. This is something many complain about.
It’s not all bad news. As we often see in drag race videos, the Lightning is quite fast. This Extended-Range model boasts 580 horsepower, but even the normal one has 452 hp. With a 0 to 60 time of 4.3 seconds (as tested in the video), this expensive Ford import won’t be embarrassed by any of those posh SUVs you might be tempted to buy for the same money.
