Ford Ranger 2009 News

Hot on the heels of the Australian government's mandatory Takata airbag recall, Ford, Audi and Tesla have joined the list of carmakers to detail which of it's models are affected.

THE Toyota HiLux may be "unbreakable" but it turns out it's not "unbeatable". Australia's top-selling crew-cab ute for the past 35 years in a row is officially under attack.The new Ford Ranger is denting the Toyota HiLux's domination of the ute market, chipping away at the mining business, government departments -- and doubling sales to private buyers so far this year.Confidential figures obtained by Carsguide show the Ford Ranger has outsold the Toyota HiLux in government fleet sales, and is closing the gap in deliveries to mining companies and other businesses.Last year Toyota sold approximately 2600 HiLuxes to state and federal governments compared to 3500 deliveries of the Ranger to the same agencies.Even though Toyota recently updated its HiLux to a five-star safety rating (making it eligible for government and mining contracts) the Ford Ranger still leads in government sales so far this year (800 versus 500 in the first three months of 2014). The secret industry figures also reveal the Ford Ranger is closing in on the Toyota HiLux's lucrative mining contracts.Last year, Toyota sold 16,000 HiLuxes to mining companies and other businesses compared to more than 11,200 Rangers -- a gap of 29 per cent to Toyota. But so far this year, Ford Ranger sales are only 21 per cent behind the HiLux (3500 versus 2700).The news of the Ranger's inroads comes as Ford has released a beefed-up version of its pick-up to appeal to the mining industry -- and it's been made available to the public so that mining contractors, or private buyers with heavy-duty needs, can buy the vehicle.The Ranger XL Plus gains underbody protection shields, mud flaps, a factory-fitted tow bar (previously only standard on the top models), running boards, heavy duty canvas seat covers, a second battery (80 amp hours), a larger wiring harness, 17-inch steel wheels with Continental all-terrain tyres and daytime running lights.As with other Ranger models, the XL Plus retains the vehicle's 3500kg towing capacity. Black bumpers are standard but an ANCAP five-star rated bullbar is optional. Ford says the Ranger 4x4 XL Plus will be available in single-cab chassis ($46,280), double-cab chassis ($51,760) and double cab pick-up ($52,760) body styles.All models come standard with a 3.2-litre turbo-diesel five-cylinder engine matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. The first shipments of the Ranger XL Plus are due to arrive in May.Meanwhile, Ford says supply of the top-of-the-range Ranger WildTrak model has improved and the four-to-six-month waiting lists should start to come down. Ford dealers also report that the built-in navigation unit that was exclusive to the Ranger WildTrak will also be available on the Ranger XLT model from July.A rear view camera is still not available as a factory fit item on any version of the Ranger except the top-line WildTrak, leaving Ford exposed as cameras become increasingly available on rival pick-ups.In a media statement, Ford Australia Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service, Graeme Whickman, said Ford worked with the mining sector and government agencies to develop the Ranger XL Plus. "These industries have very specific demands on their vehicles so that's why we created the Ranger 4x4 XL Plus," said Mr Whickman."It will be a popular addition to mining industry and business sector fleets but we also expect there to be strong support from private customers who have a particular need for this type of vehicle."The Ranger was designed and engineered in Australia but is being manufactured in three continents and is sold in more than 180 countries -- more countries than have McDonald's stores.All Rangers sold in Australia come from Ford's joint venture factory with Mazda in Thailand and are subject to a zero import tariff.

Four Falcons rolled during a tortuous and historic acid test aimed to prove up the  durability of Ford’s new sedan. The year was 1965 and not only did the 'Durability Run' devised as a sales push by Ford Australia managing director Bill Bourke manage to impress new-car buyers, it also showcased the rigours of the company’s proving grounds near Geelong. The five XP Falcons that were subjected to the test all finished - the four were righted after their accidents and continued - each racking up 112,000km at an average sped of 112km/h over almost nine days. For the Ford proving ground at You Yangs, a 7sq.km open site on plains aside the Flinders mountain range 22km from Geelong, it was the ultimate test. Even now, almost 50 years later, the incessant testing of Ford product - and product from other manufacturers - continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You Yangs is one of 11 Ford-owned proving grounds in the world. The reason for its importance is reflected in the durability run of the XP. Ford boss Bourke  copped an avalanche of bad press and poor owner reviews on the reliability of the first XK and subsequent XL Falcon models. His solution was to throw open You Yangs and show the public how the (then) new Ford model would survive. He chose five Falcon XPs off the production line and gave the keys to race drivers - Harry Firth was one - with the brief to drive them flat out  until each had covered 112,000km (the equivalent of 70,000 miles). It was not rehearsed and Bourke ensured the event was transparent. Ford in Detroit rated it so important that Henry Ford II attended. The run was regarded as a success and to ice the cake for the fleet buyers, Ford gave cars away for a six month trial to major corporates. It was the last public display of the proving grounds. Ford spokesperson Sinead Phipps says the facility is out of bounds. “We never allow the public into the proving ground and security is always strictly controlled,’‘ she says. Taking 10 cars from the Carsguide Car of the Year list onto You Yangs was a privilege. It was the perfect facility to put our selection under a variety of conditions that ranged from a high-speed ride and handling circuit to a gravel track and braking and acceleration pads. The centrepiece to You Yangs is a 5km parabolic high-speed circuit though there are equally as importlant low-speed tracks, special surface areas - including cobblestones, corrugations and Belgian blocks - and salt and mud baths. Aside from the 40km of roads, the facility includes a crash test area, a new high-speed wind tunnel, climatic and emissions testing laboratories, an environmental exposure area and an anechoic dyno chamber.

The company already gets the Escape off-roader from Taiwan and Ranger ute out of Thailand, which will be joined mid-2010 by the Fiesta hatch. Now an as-yet unnamed Asian plant will build the next-generation global Focus sedan and hatch for local launch in 2011."But in terms of the detail and what location in Asia it is still to be finalised," according to Ford Australia president, Marin Burela. A decision is expected within a few months. Thailand is unlikely despite a $608 million upgrade to the Auto Alliance Thailand joint-venture plant at Rayong south-east of Bangkok.Ford announced earlier this year that the upgrade would allow AAT to lift production capacity from 175,000 to 275,000 vehicles a year, building the Mazda2 and Fiesta for export markets. If AAT had the capacity for Focus, Thailand would be attractive as Australia enjoys a free trade agreement with zero tariffs with the Asian country.Burela backs his decision to cancel local Focus production. He says the global car industry was different back in July 2007 when Ford originally announced it would build 40,000 Focuses a year at Broadmeadows, with 15,000 exported to Asian and African markets.Since then the industry has been rocked by the global financial crisis. "The economic climate has changed," Burela says. "When we made this decision in 2007 it was the right decision at that time. Since then the world has changed and the rules have changed completely."The decision to abandon the Focus Broadmeadows plan was not taken lightly. "I think we're responding absolutely appropriately with the direction that we're taking," he says. "We came to the conclusion that to make a small car viable with the right level of technology, feature, content, styling in this country we needed to bring the most competitive levels of opportunity with that vehicle""We recognised, after studying this to death, that there was just no appropriate way for us to be able to do that by producing the vehicle locally."Burela is confident the next-generation Focus will lift the company's ability to compete in the C-car segment. "The C-car segment is very crowded," he says. "There are 24 different competitors fighting for 180,000 units in this country."The key for success here is you have to make it right, it has to be competitive and it has to have the highest level of technology, features and content. We are so confident we will deliver."

After being nabbed near Melbourne several weeks ago, an eagle-eyed reader in Europe has nabbed a UK-registered ute, sans disguise, somewhere in the sunny northern hemisphere.The ute, codenamed the T6, has been designed and engineered by Ford Australia, which took a lead role in the car's development.The next-generation Ranger has grown in size over the current Ranger, which shares much with the Mazda BT50.Insiders say the ute, which will be available in both four-door cab and two-door cab designs, is closer in size to the Ford F150.The Ranger, which will be available with both diesel and petrol engines and two and four-wheel drive, will be sold into Ford's global markets and go head-to-head against the domineering Toyota HiLux.It is expected to be sold in more than 70 countries and a version could even head to the US.As the photo shows, the utility has grown in width, with a wider track, bigger payload and a more pedestrian friendly front-end.The existing Ford Ranger and Mazda BT50 are based on a 10-year-old design. The ute is the second locally developed Ford for the world.Ford Australia played a lead role in the development of the Indian-developed Ford Fiesta sedan.