Ford Ranger 2015 News

As the Australian economy shows signs of slowing, sales of new cars got a boost in February – the first solid increase in five months – as dealers cleared last year's stock and buyers continued to cash-in on record low interest rates.Deliveries of new cars rose by 4.2 per cent in February to 90,424, compared to the same month last year, figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show.Prior to last month, new-car sales had been stable or in slow decline for the better part of a year.Discounts across most mainstream brands have been particularly aggressive in response to price cuts from Japanese marques after a new Free Trade AgreementPrivate buyers – not business fleets – were the driving force, pushing sales up 6 per cent among those who pay for their own cars, and accounting for more than half of all new vehicles sold in the month.The turnaround in car sales is likely due to a combination of low interest rates which have enabled many buyers to update to a brand-new model with the same – or lower – monthly repayments.Furthermore, the discounts across most mainstream brands have been particularly aggressive in response to price cuts from Japanese marques after a new Free Trade Agreement axed the 5 per cent tariff on the landed wholesale cost of every vehicle from Japan.The adjustment typically saw price cuts of between $300 and $900 on Japanese cars in the $15,000 to $40,000 price bracket.For example, the Mazda3 price was trimmed from $20,490 to $19,980 and the Toyota Corolla hatch went from $19,990 to $19,490 plus on-road costs.Sales to fleets were down by 3.0 per cent while government departments also had the handbrake on (down 0.5 per cent).Sales to rental companies were much higher than average (up a staggering 59 per cent for the month), however this is more likely a sign that some brands "pushed" cars out at heavily discounted rates, rather than being indicative of a boost in tourism.Seven of the Top 10 brands posted increases. But former market leaders Ford and Holden were hit hard – with sales declines of 20.1 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively – as they adjusted to weakening demand for their locally-made vehicles in the lead-up to their factory closures in 2016 and 2017.A sign of the times – and our changing taste in cars – luxury brand Mercedes-Benz rounded out the Top 10 for only the fourth time ever.Most luxury marques continued to shine, with Audi (up 9.4 per cent), BMW (up 14.8 per cent) and Porsche (up 14 per cent) all posting increases that outpaced the overall market.The Toyota Corolla overtook the Mazda3 to become the nation's top-sellerPrestige brands customarily account for 8 per cent of car sales globally; in Australia they make up more than 11 per cent of new vehicle deliveries.Other highlights for the month of February: sales for small-car specialist Suzuki were up 20 per cent while ute and SUV specialist Isuzu was up by a massive 54 per cent.Meanwhile the Toyota Corolla overtook the Mazda3 to become the nation's top-seller – but the Mazda3 still leads the sales race in the year-to-date tally by a narrow margin of just 90 cars.The two small cars have been duking it out for Number One for the past four years after the Mazda3 ended the Holden's Commodore's record 15-year winning streak in 2011.The Mazda3 went on to lead the new-car market for two years in a row, but was overtaken by the Toyota Corolla, the world's biggest selling car, in the two years that followed and is currently the reigning champion.With no other challengers to Number One in sight, the year 2015 looks set to be a repeat of the past two years with the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 battling for top-seller status.Toyota 16,243 – up 0.3 per centMazda 9057 – down 1.2 per centHyundai 8003 – 2.6 per centHolden 7809 – down 10.2 per centMitsubishi 6242 – up 33.3 per centFord 5022 – down 20.1 per centVolkswagen 4889 – up 11.7 per centSubaru 3223 – up 3.3 per centHonda 2901 – up 9.0 per centMercedes-Benz 2744 – up 15.5 per centToyota Corolla 3939 – up 18.2 per centMazda3 3598 – down 9.3 per centToyota HiLux 2861 – down 14.5 per centHolden Commodore 2517 – down 9.4 per centHyundai i30 2126 – down 10.4 per centMazda CX-5 2085 – up 19.0 per centMitsubishi Triton 1988 – up 62 per centFord Ranger 1953 – up 2.7 per centToyota Camry 1767 – down 6.6 per centVolkswagen Golf 1735 – down 2.5 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

Teaser video gives quick glimpse at updated Ranger ute. Ford’s new 2015 Ranger ute has received an early reveal after a short teaser video was released by Ford Asia Pacific.Claimed to be “smarter, safer, smoother, stronger,” the Australian-developed Ranger is expected to receive a number of cosmetic and mechanical updates in a bid to close the gap between it and Toyota’s Hilux in the light commercial sales race.Sporting an all-new front-end design inspired by the new Everest SUV, the Ranger features a new grille, front bumper and bonnet which give a more aggressive appearance.The new three-bar grille design is similar to that of the new Everest, though the Ranger’s styling is differentiated with two vertical intakes similar to those seen on recent American market F-Series pick-ups.The updated Ranger also gets new headlights taken straight from the Everest, while the new bonnet sits higher and features more aggressive lines and contours.It is believed the Ranger’s interior will also receive a major overhaul for 2015, adopting the more stylish and user-friendly dashboard design of the newer Everest, while also gaining Ford’s SYNC2 multimedia interface with voice commands.We also expect to see a number of insulation and suspension enhancements to give a smoother and quieter ride. As for the ‘stronger’ part of Ford’s claims, the current Ranger is offered with a 110kW/375Nm 2.2-litre or 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine. The Everest will employ the same engines, though its power figures are unconfirmed – if the SUV gets some extra poke, the Ranger will likely see the same changes.The current Ranger is a strong seller for Ford with 22,539 year to date sales at the end of October, representing an increase of nearly 25 per cent when compared to the same time last year.However, the Ford ute is still a long way off the segment-smashing Toyota Hilux which has racked up 31,876 year to date sales and was Australia’s second best selling car in October. 

The secret (and some not so secret) models that will power Ford, Holden and Toyota when their factories close.

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.