The specs: 2018 Ford F-150
Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km
The last time I was in an F-150, it was last year’s incarnation of the Raptor – a mighty monster and no mistake, yet one with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine. Now, I’m the first to advocate for green motoring – I have a Tesla on pre-order and the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace might be the most impressive car I have driven in 2018 so far. Yet certain vehicles just demand a lunk-sized muscly heart pounding beneath the bonnet. Anything else will always leave you wanting more, however much your environmental credentials niggle away at you.
Gladly, this time around, I am behind the wheel of the 2018 F-150, replete with a 5.0-litre V8. Apologies to the coughing squirrels and wilting grass, but nothing beats the gurgle of eight cylinders getting throaty when you apply your right foot to the fun pedal. With 395hp at your disposal, it takes a decent amount of restraint not to have speed cameras flashing like a festive light display.
Not that planet-preserving concerns have been ignored entirely – start-stop technology comes as standard to save fuel while stationary, while pedestrian detection aids in the very real dangers that might befall any human beings in the path of two tonnes of truck. It has been sculpted into the toughest-looking F-150 to date, too, with the “regular” models now giving the rough-and-ready Raptor a run for its money – and at a significantly lower price tag.
Should you still not be able to sleep at night knowing that your V8 is doubtless contributing a little too enthusiastically to the destruction of our planet, in addition to that aforementioned EcoBoost engine, there is also a 3.3-litre option, as Ford continues to chip away at cubic capacities.
The 10-speed gearbox seems, on paper, to wield an excessive number of ratios, but such concerns are scarcely noticeable once you put your foot down, with it smoothly shifting up to speed. And once you get up to a decent velocity, the F-150 is arguably the best in class in terms of steering precision and handling. Admittedly, you wouldn't want to it round a Formula One track, but you at least don't feel like you're about to star in the classic episode of The Simpsons that starred Canyonero, a fictional 4x4 prone to dubious incidents that end with it setting on fire.
It is a practically designed truck, with a nod to the workhorse purposes it is largely intended to fulfil. The little step and mini hand-bar to assist clambering into the back of the pick-up are a neat touch, although a little tricky to stow away after use. A cleverer fold-away innovation is the central armrest up-front, which flips up into a third seat in the single-cab F-150 XLT Sport that I test drive. The double cab, however, is the variant you need should your family want to join for the high-perched ride.
As per most of the Ford range nowadays, the interior controls are simple and effective, from the intuitive touchscreen to the clear, concise dash displays. The F-150 has been a best-seller for so long that it seems the attitude is ‘why alter a good thing too much?’ And you can’t really argue with that logic.
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Read more:
Road test: 2018 Maxus T60
The Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn gives plenty of metal for your money
Road test: 2017 GMC Sierra
Latest from The National's Motoring section
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
The specs: 2018 Ford F-150
Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km
