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The all-new pickup will not break cover until the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October, but the blue oval brand is finally starting its teaser campaign this week.
A single shot of the Ranger hints at the giant development program completed at Ford Australia on the T6 program to created a global commercial hero for the company. The T6 is also being spun into the next Mazda BT-50, which was previewed last week in an artist's sketch.
The contrast between the shared sons of the T6 program could not be different, as Mazda has gone swoopy and futuristic while Ford is going for heavyweight muscle on the Ranger.
Ford is now lifting the curtain that has covered the T6 program for more than two years, confirming the Ranger will be sold in 180 countries and will go public in Sydney on October 15. Prototypes have already covered more than one million kilometres during testing, heading from Melbourne to the European Alps and the deserts of the Middle East.
"Australia has played a leading role in the development of this latest global Ford product," says Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Ranger is symbolic of how our great product development capability is being leveraged by the ONE Ford plan like never before."
Not surprisingly, Hinrichs makes no mention of the Mazda BT-50, even though it will even be built at the same factory in Thailand as the Ranger.
Ford says the new Ranger will be more powerful with better fuel economy thanks to a new engine family, as well as promising outstanding towing and payload. It also says the cabin of the Ranger has the equipment and refinement expected in a car.
