More than just the 'Ranger Car Company'? Ford boss discusses plans for Mustang Mach-E, F-150, Explorer and more as it looks to expand beyond its successful ute

Ford Australia is open to any of its global models, including the new electric Explorer, as it looks to diversify its line-up to become less-reliant on the success of its Ranger ute. 

The Ranger alone makes up more than 70 per cent of the brand’s total sales in the first nine months of 2023, with the closely related Everest boosting that number to a staggering 87 per cent. That means almost nine of every 10 cars Ford Australia has sold this year has either been a Ranger or Everest.

Clearly this puts the company in a position that isn’t ideal, which is why it invested in a three-year lease on a cargo ship to ensure it has a steady supply of both Ranger and Everest. But Ford Australia president and CEO Andrew Birkic acknowledges that the situation needs to change and is looking to find a way to either increase sales of existing models or bring in new options for customers.

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“I never say never in terms of what we’re going to bring in,” Birkic told CarsGuide. “I always like to keep my options open depending on what Ford is producing from a global perspective. Right now we need to be incredibly open-minded because things change. Consumer trends change, partnerships change, there’s many facets to that.”

Ford Australia has been limited in recent years by the availability of models in right-hand drive. The only US model made in right-hand drive from the factory is the Mustang coupe, with the local division of the Blue Oval having to invest in local conversion in order to add the F-150 ute. But it means potentially popular models such as the Bronco Sport, Bronco, Maverick ute, Explorer and Expedition are off-limits to local buyers.

While Ford’s global CEO, Jim Farley, has indicated that right-hand drive Bronco and Maverick are possible in the future, in the short-term Ford Australia is limited in its choices.

The new all-electric Explorer is another SUV that could eventually find its way to Australian showrooms.

However, a key change is Ford’s transition to electrification, which began with the E-Transit vans but recently expanded to the local line-up's first passenger electric vehicle - the Mustang Mach-E. This is the second US-built right-hand drive model, joining its namesake, and it may not be the last.

The new all-electric Explorer - based on Volkswagen Group's MEB platform - is another SUV that could eventually find its way to Australian showrooms, if Birkic and his team deem it a good fit for his overall plan.

“We look at this holistically, we’re building a portfolio - we’re not just one individual product,” he explained. “What we want to do is build a really strong portfolio of electrification that appeals to a certain customer and we just can’t wait to get them here.”

Ford’s transition to electrification recently expanded to the local line-up's first passenger electric vehicle - the Mustang Mach-E.

The situation for many of these models may end up being a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ they’ll come to Australia, simply because if they don’t, the brand won’t have much else to sell here. The company is simplifying its line-up as it switches to electrification, with the Explorer effectively replacing the Escape in the brand’s global line-up. 

The challenge for Ford, as with every car company since the global pandemic, is ensuring enough supply. According to Birkic, this has been a major factor in the Ranger taking such a dominant position in its sales mix.

“What you’re going to see is an organic mix change because it’s just performing so well,” he said. “What you’re also seeing is, because of the supply chain issues, some of the other entities we’re just not seeing the quantities that we wanted. So that has also influenced the mix.”

The new-generation Mustang arrives in early 2024.

Birkic added: “What we are going to do is bring in vehicles that are commercially viable and we can get supply of too. If you look at something like Mustang, we’ve had supply constraints with that, but we’re not talking in the hundreds. That vehicle has dominated that sports segment - it is a serious player.” 

Crucially, though, Birkic stopped short of confirming any expansion of the product line-up just yet. Instead, his focus is on the launch of the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 and, in early 2024, the arrival of the new-generation Mustang.