The Ford F-150 is a favorite in America, but Ford has marketed this pickup truck all over the world. Mexico is one of Ford’s foreign F-150 markets. And in Mexico, the Ford F-150 has a way cooler name than it does in the states.

Think driving across the moonlit the desert howling at the full moon out of the open windows of your Ford Lobo. Yeah, that’s right. The Mexican F-150 is a wolf. If you happen to buy a Lobo Raptor, your new truck is named after some of the most fascinating apex predators ever to live on planet Earth.

Only downside is that the Lobo doesn’t come Raptorized yet. What versions are offered in Mexico? And why does that market get such a cool name for this traditional Ford truck?

Why did they name the Ford F-150 the Lobo?

The answer to that question dates back to 1996. Apparently, Ford of Mexico wanted to start marketing the trucks to a younger demographic. They decided to give the Ford F-150 a more aggressive logo and some body tweaks in order to appeal to wider audience. The name Lobo just made sense. Now, the Ford Lobo is offered in Mexico and some gray markets in other parts of the world like Europe.

Mexican Ford trucks generally retain older model frames because that’s what sells there. The Mexican Ford F-150 is still marketed as such in the base models, but when you start getting up in the trim levels it takes on that Lobo badge.

For example, you can get a Ford Lobo King Ranch edition or a Lobo Platinum Limited. It’s the same as the Ford F-150 we have here in the states, but its sells in Mexico stamped as Lobo, which means wolf in Spanish.

If you buy a Mexican F-150 without the Lobo badge, it’s built on an older model and will have dated technology. The wolf of the F-series is an elite F-150 in Mexico.

Ford Lobo Specs

The 2019 Ford Lobo, which is currently in production for the Mexican auto market uses a very similar drivetrain lineup as F-150. It’s the lightened up 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The US twin boasts a 3.3-liter unit which is not available for Lobo.

You can get the Ford Lobo with a long or short bed, regular cab or double cab –– which is the same as out crew cab. It also comes in a variety of trim options for those who want solid modern truck. The XLT, for instance, is the cheapest option of the Lobo. However, comes only equipped with a V-8.

The XLT trim is less expensive, but you get the the 5.0-liter V-8 motor. Just as it is here on US soil, this trim is without a doubt the most capable Lobo in this pickup truck‘s entire Mexican lineup. This strong V8 engine makes 395 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque, and you can’t get it on the other Lobo Models.

One thing that’s interesting about the Lobo is that even the upper level trims are equipped with a manual transmission (with optional automatic). For a pickup truck like this that’s kind of cool.

The Ford Lobo

The new tech reaches our models first giving the US pickup truck market an obvious edge. Still, the fact that the Ford F-150 is named after the wolf in Mexico is a piece of truck trivia you probably didn’t know. If you ever find yourself south of the border keep an eye out for a wolf in the streets. You might just see a Ford Lobo in the wild.