FORD UNVEILS ALL-NEW RANGER
Fri, Mar 30, 2012
FORD UNVEILS ALL-NEW RANGER AT THE MANILA INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
The All-New global Ford Ranger comes to market in the Philippines, combining the toughness and capability of a pickup truck with smart technology, outstanding safety, excellent fuel economy and high standards of quality and comfort.
The All-New Ranger will be available in three variants - the 2.2L 4x2 XLT in both manual and automatic transmissions and the 2.2L 4x4 XL in manual transmission.
“The All-New Ranger is the first pickup truck to be built under the One Ford strategy and has benefited tremendously from the full engineering expertise of Ford around the world,” said Vinay Piparsania, vice president for Marketing and Sales, Ford Group Philippines. “This has enabled us to deliver a truck with no compromise, a truck that provides customers around the world with quality, fuel efficiency, safety and smart technology in one complete package.”
The All-New Ranger will be offered in a double cab style – along with an extensive list of practical features that are available across the series and having among the roomiest in the segment.
Totally new from the ground up, the Ranger was designed and developed to be among the forerunners – if not the pack leaders – in every area that is important to the customers, especially those who use it for both work and leisure purposes. The pickup now delivers impressive payload capability and, at the same time, is fitted out with innovative and comfort features that a dual user has come to want and value.
For nearly 20 years, the Ranger has been one of Ford’s most popular pickups across the globe, providing millions of customers with Ford Tough Truck capabilities. Having gone through a comprehensive global development program, the all-new Ranger builds on its strong heritage and is now set to blaze new trails ahead.
Developed for the world
Designed and developed by a global team headquartered in Australia, the new Ranger platform takes advantage of global Ford assets, particularly robust engines proven in tough commercial-vehicle usage and fuel-efficient six-speed transmissions. The design and product development teams also had full access to Ford’s global capabilities, testing facilities and pickup truck knowledge in the entire Ford organization.
The collaboration was crucial in developing the all-new Ranger. Everything is new – engines, gearboxes, frame, suspension, steering system, brakes, chassis, exterior sheet metal, and vehicle interior. The list continues with brand-new features for safety and passenger comfort.
“The Ranger is truly all new,” said Piparsania. “Developing the Ranger from scratch was an exciting opportunity that allowed us to answer the needs of our truck customers around the world, and delivering a vehicle that will meet and exceed expectations.”
Using the latest computer technologies, the product development team conducted about 30,000 computer-aided assessments on areas such as safety, durability, ergonomics, vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics during the virtual phase. Of these, 7500 virtual assessments were carried out in the under-body to ensure a robust vehicle foundation and more than 10,000 virtual assessments on the upper-body to align styling and functional requirements.
Once Ranger prototypes were ready, they were tested extensively in 15 countries around the world to deliver a vehicle that is tough enough for the harsh conditions of the Australian Outback, provides confidence when driven on high-speed German autobahns and is reliable when driven for hours in the endlessness of the Argentinean Pampa.
Tested in places such as Australia, Dubai, Thailand, North America, Brazil, Sweden and South Africa, the Ranger had to face severe heat and cold, monsoon rains, high altitudes as well as rushing rivers, arid deserts and potholed roads. Prototypes clocked more than a million kilometres on the road supported by countless hours of exhaustive testing in state-of-the-art laboratories.
The Ranger will be manufactured in Thailand for markets in the Asia Pacific region. South Africa, with its newly revamped manufacturing facilities, will produce Ranger for the home market and Europe, as well as emerging markets in Africa. Later in the launch cadence, Argentina will produce the pickup for South America. Ranger will ultimately be sold in 180 markets, making it one of the farthest-reaching Ford products in the world.
‘21st Century Tough’ styling
Exuding power and confidence in a styling that the designers call “21st Century Tough”, the taut and muscular Ranger features a short overhang up front with the signature three-bar grille, a global Ford truck design cue.
The windscreen has been raked back for a sportier and more dynamic silhouette, while the traditional square form of the truck has been sculpted to give the vehicle a more modern and aerodynamic look. Larger headlamps, bigger mirrors and stamped-in wheel lips provide an integrated look across all series and contribute to an aggressive and sporty stance.
Designers also raised the beltline significantly, along with the rails of the load box, giving the Ranger a substantive presence on the road while increasing its functionality with the deeper box. The Double Cab is among the top with 1.21 cubic metres.
At 5,274 millimetres long and 2,163 millimetres wide, the all-new Ranger is bigger than the previous-generation model. It remains easily manoeuvrable on narrow city streets and during parking thanks to a responsive steering system that requires no more than 3.5 turns of the wheel lock-to-lock.
A smart and comfortable interior
The All-New Ranger offers a contemporary look and feel with features and comfort normally found in passenger cars. Bold new interior surfaces are finished with materials that will stand up to the demands of a workhorse while delivering a lasting quality appearance.
The B-pillar in the Ranger Double Cab has also been moved forward, delivering best-in-class rear leg room and knee clearance. Three adults can easily fit in the second row of the Ranger while two six-footers can comfortably sit one behind the other.
Making full use of the spacious interior, the Ranger offers more than 20 storage spaces in the cabin – more practical stowage than any competitor.
The glove box is large enough to accommodate a 16-inch laptop computer while door pockets can comfortably fit 1.5-liter water bottles. Ample storage for mobile phones and other small items can be found in the console and in areas within easy reach of the driver. Underneath the rear seats, a convenient hidden storage area for tools can be easily accessed.
Poised to be a leader in the compact pickup segment, the All-New Ranger comes with smart technologies that make the pickup easier, safer and more fun to drive. The 2.2L Ranger XLT in automatic and manual transmission come with Bluetooth®1, USB and iPod2 integration, there is voice control over the radio, CD, iPod, USB and mobile phone.
“This first-in-class feature proves that Ford is forward-thinking in having the latest technology and smart features,” said Piparsania.
More muscle and greater fuel efficiency
The All-New Ford Ranger powertrains have been engineered to give customers a combination of power and torque as well as excellent fuel efficiency.
The new Duratorq TDCi 2.2L VG Turbo delivers peak torque output of 375 Nm and power output of 110 kW (150 PS). The fuel consumption of this new four-cylinder diesel engine in a combined cycle is among the leaders in its class, ranging from 7.6L/100 km (13.2 km/L) on a 4x2 variant.
These exceptional fuel consumption figures will give the all-new Ranger models – all of which are fitted with an 80-litre fuel tank – a potential range of more than 1000 km from a single tank of diesel. All the engines have also been calibrated to meet the highest emission standards in all the different markets.
For the first time, the Ranger Duratorq 2.2L VG Turbo 4x2 XLT will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission to provide reduced engine rpm and extend its range on long highway trips or in city traffic.
“Our all-new engine family bears out our commitment to make Ranger the clear choice for today’s pickup customer,” said Piparsania. “We know they want more power, more torque, and we deliver all that – as well as increased fuel economy and reduced emissions.”
Impressive capability
The all-new Ranger has been engineered and tested to ensure it can stand up to the toughest challenge. Its capabilities for carrying, fording, and climbing are impressive.
In fact, Ranger’s water-wading capability is among the best in the segment – with the capability to wade through up to 800 millimetres of water even when fully laden. It also boasts outstanding payload capacity of more than 1400 kilograms as well as excellent ground clearance of up to 237 millimetres.
“Ranger’s rugged capability was purposefully engineered and carefully crafted into the pickup,” said Piparsania. “We wanted to give customers a tough truck that they can truly rely on in high waters or just commuting to work. Ranger will certainly be a dependable companion for them both on and off road in any condition.”
New levels of ride quality and chassis control
The same level of detail that makes Ranger stand out in a crowd will set it apart from the competition with an entirely new chassis that, when compared to its predecessor, provides even more capability along with car-like quietness, reduced steering effort, more precise handling and better on-road stability.
Up front, the entire suspension is brand new. A new coil-over-strut suspension allows for better tuning of the upper and lower wishbone design. The suspension set-up, while similar for two- and four-wheel drive models, has unique capabilities and has been tuned with specific damper valving and spring rates on all models to compensate for weight, centre of gravity, engine torque and drive distribution.
Giving drivers more precise steering control, Ranger’s new rack-and-pinion steering system has been carefully tuned for low-speed manoeuvrability and responsive on-road driving.
The All-New Ranger more than holds its own in cabin quietness, an attribute not often associated with a pickup truck. From being better sealed and having stiffer doors to using sound-deadening materials in the doors, roof and body, Ranger introduces high levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) refinement.
The all-new Ranger in the Philippines
The All-New Ranger will officially go on sale in dealerships nationwide in the month of June at the suggest retail price of PhP1,179,000 for the 2.2L Ranger 4x4 XL, PhP1,069,000 for the 2.2L Ranger XLT 4x2 MT and PhP1,119,000 for the 2.2L Ranger XLT 4x2 AT.
The All-New Ranger will be available in Cool White, Black Mica, Highlight Silver, True Red, Metropolitan Gray and Aurora Blue.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 244,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Mazda, and until completion of their sale, Jaguar Land Rover. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
