Pretoria - Finally the new Ford Ranger is here to be sold and driven on local soil.
It’s been an almost 18 month journey since Independent Media was invited to be part of only three South African media houses in what Ford called the “inner circle” as a prelude to the reveal and launch of the Ranger.
We were joined by colleagues from Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, UAE, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Britain in what was originally meant to include trips to Australia and Thailand for in-situ visits to see what it was all about.
Well, we know what happened when Corona took a swipe at the planet and everyone was forced to stay at home and within their borders.
Like everyone else we were forced to stare at screens and quickly became proficient at various virtual platforms as a variety of senior Ford personnel including lead engineers, interior and exterior designers and Ranger vehicle program director Graham Pearson engaged with us, shared screens and showed videos from across the oceans.
For us as South Africans it was particularly pertinent following a R15.8-billion investment from Ford into the Silverton plant where the Ranger will be made for local and international consumption.
We had to sign a non-disclosure agreement as thick as only the Americans can conjure up and sworn to secrecy. This made travelling with our colleagues on various local launches difficult as they speculated about design, interior, performance, engines and drivetrains while we were completely up to speed with what was coming.
And what is coming is something special because for Ford this is a very important part of their global offering. Millions of dollars have been spent on research and development, unrelenting testing, technology and most importantly the feedback from customers to make sure that the Ranger is just so.
Eventually when we could travel (not to Australia though because of their absurd Covid regulations) we had an opportunity to get behind the wheel during the Asia Pacific regional drive in Phuket, Thailand.
In South Africa the halo Ranger Wildtrak is fitted with the V6 diesel power plant built locally in Gqeberha with 184kW and 600Nm paired to Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission while Thailand gets the 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel with the same gearbox.
In September we travelled to Detroit for the reveal of the new Mustang but also had access to senior Ford executives including Elena Ford, Henry Ford’s granddaughter and a board member.
We left with no doubt as to what this new Ranger means to the global organisation.
Ford South Africa and by association the country is under the microscope to ensure that everything goes according to the strategy.
Which is why the launch of the Ranger this week is such a big deal.
Apart from the V6 diesel, Ford will also be using their tried and tested single and twin turbo diesel plants. The single blower engine will have either 110kW and 350Nm or 125kW and 405Nm depending which Ranger derivative it’s slotted into while the twin turbo offers 155kW and 500Nm.
The 10-speed automatic gearbox will be the mainstay of the range but there will also be a six speed manual and automatic depending on the variant.
Ford’s new Sync 4 touchscreen infotainment system will be available across the range in either a 10.1-inch or 12-inch version.
At this stage we don’t yet know what pricing will be but be sure to visit IOL Motoring first thing Tuesday morning and all will be revealed.