Ford has just made its Ranger more Bunnings and Ikea friendly

Ford Australia is about to make it easier for 2023 Ranger owners to take trips to Bunnings, Ikea and the beach thanks to its new Flexible Rack System (FRS). Available on “select Ranger models in 2023”, the FRS incorporates a folding roof rack and sliding load rack that can both be adjusted to various positions to accommodate lengthy and bulky items such as a surfboard, flat-packed furniture, bikes, or a kayak. The sliding load rack is positioned above and across the tray, and can moved into one of five different positions by one person, and incorporates a fold-down crossbar that sits level with the folding roof racks. The folding roof racks, meanwhile, are found above the ute’s roof, and as the name suggests, folds out from the roof racks to allow for the loading of long items longitudinally. This system can also be operated by one person, and can be adjusted to one of two positions. The FRS is rated to carry a maximum load of 80kg (dynamic) and 250kg (static), according to Ford, and its positioning means load items could affect radio and satellite navigation functionality if the antenna is blocked. Ford Australia said the FRS accessory was developed in consultation with customers, and engineered in-house by the Ford Australia Special Vehicle Engineers team in conjunction with parts-specialists JAC Products. Ford Ranger chief designer Max Tran said the FRS add-on was designed to fit seamlessly with the new-generation Ranger from its inception. “We wanted the Sliding Load Rack to ‘belong’ on Ranger, no matter where it was positioned,” he said. “It needed to be functional, of course, but it also needed to match and complement the shape of next-gen Ranger while being user friendly and as quiet as possible when deployed.” Meanwhile, Special Vehicle Engineering senior engineer Nik Tibhuvan said it was important to test the robustness of the FRS by putting it through its paces in scenarios customer’s might use the system. “We tested the system with bulldust, red dirt, salt and water, to replicate the sort of real-world grit and muck owners will encounter,” he said. “Part of our durability test involves our infamous Silver Creek Road test track which is so torturous we use autonomous driving robots to complete this phase of the testing. The FRS was tested at full load and completed 77 runs on the track, passing with flying colours. It completed 400 runs with no load.” CarsGuide has contacted Ford Australia to determine exactly which variants the new accessory will be made available to, but has been advised this information is yet to be made available.