A huge bank of orders for the new Ford Ranger | Biden News

DEMAND for the new Ford Ranger has left the company scrambling to cover the volume of pre-orders it has, even resorting to airfreighting parts to help meet customer expectations and creating a dedicated website to track stock availability to help manage these expectations.

As of Monday, July 11, the day before the official release of the new Ranger ute, Ford had more than 17,000 orders for the various models, more than 4,000 of them for the range-topping Ranger Raptors.

Industry insiders say such a surge in pre-production orders would be unprecedented in the local car market and may have been driven by a number of factors, not least pent-up demand and tax write-offs, as well as Ford’s own model line.

The F-150, to which the new Ranger owes much of its styling, should soon be shipped from the United States and converted in Melbourne to right-hand drive.

Like other so-called full-size cars from other manufacturers, the F-150 will be imported in premium trim levels and is expected to have a showroom price above the $100,000 mark, similar to the equivalent of the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500. competitors

That kind of money worries many Australian buyers, no matter how much they want to own such a car. And the 298kW/678Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, which tows more than 2.5 tonnes, probably won’t be the most economical proposition in a time of soaring fuel prices.

By comparison, even the top-of-the-line Ranger Raptor, with its 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and original F-150 styling, looks tempting at $85,490 on-road costs. Even the top-spec Ranger Wildtrak with its 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel is relatively cheap at $70,190 + ORC.

Sweetening the deal even more is the fact that no luxury car tax is payable on such a car. Commercial vehicles designed to carry goods rather than passengers are exempt from the tax, which could save some high-end people.

The exception is based on the vehicle’s payload exceeding the passenger capacity.

According to Ford, the ‘Next-Gen’ Ranger responds to customer demand for new technology, more torque and greater capability, reflecting the widespread use of pickup trucks from work to family and entertainment.”

Ford says that while the new Ranger’s V6 diesel is inherited from the F-150 – although it dropped that model last year in favor of hybrid technology – for this new application it was “considered an all-new engine that went through a wide range of durability, calibration and testing to make sure it fits the Ranger.”

Ford Ranger and Everest program manager Pritika Maharaj said her team “has done a lot of work calibrating and testing the program in both the US and Australia to make sure it will meet the needs of Ranger and Everest customers.”

V6 Rangers also feature a multi-mode all-wheel drive system that can be operated as permanent on-demand all-wheel drive, similar to the Super Select technology offered on the Mitsubishi Triton.

No manual gearbox is offered, the only cog-swappers being six- and 10-speed torque converter automatics.

Ford reckons the 10-speed can take a fair amount of punishment after “six million kilometers of testing, including more than 3,900km of sanctioned off-road racing”.

Part of said off-road racing was the grueling Baja 1000, meaning the mid-range 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel shouldn’t put a strain on the powertrain with its 154kW/500Nm output.

This engine is available on all dual-cab Ranger variants except the Raptor, as well as some Super and single-cab variants, while the less powerful 125kW/405Nm single-turbo engine with a six-speed automatic transmission works mainly in 4×2 fleet specification. XL (prices start at $35,930 + ORC for single-cab chassis) and low-cost 4×4 options.

Only the XLT Dual Cab 4×4, Sport and Wildtrak Ranger variants can be optioned with the V6 diesel, which also uses a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Ahead of the Ranger’s launch this week, Ford Australia has added resources to its website to “data mine” and provide customers and potential buyers with up-to-date information on vehicle availability.

The initiative was prompted by strong interest in the Ranger, Ranger Raptor and Everest, as well as global semiconductor supply chain challenges and the pandemic, which means some customers will have to wait a long time.

The web page is regularly updated to provide customers with up-to-date vehicle supply information and answers to frequently asked questions.

“We know that potential buyers and potential customers want accurate information and transparency about the wait time and arrival time of their vehicle,” said Andrew Birkich, president and CEO of Ford of Australia and New Zealand.

“This dedicated web page will keep them informed, but we would also encourage customers to stay in touch with their dealers about the condition of their vehicle.”

To meet demand, Ford Australia airlifts parts where needed.

2022 Ford Ranger 4×2 Prices*:

2022 Ford Ranger 4×4 Prices*:

*The price does not include transport costs.