FIRST LOOKS

New 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine has commonrail fuel delivery for higher output, lower emissions.

In the mid-1990s, Ford looked at the ASEAN market and decided that the best way to get the big volumes for the all-important economies of scale was to produce a single type of vehicle for the region. At that time, Toyota and Honda had chosen to make a sedan – the Soluna (later to become the Vios) and the City – which they called ‘Asian Cars’ because they were designed for lower costs which were needed in developing markets. Ford planners did not think that a cheap sedan was the only answer and considered instead the pick-up, a vehicle type which it has been best at and in fact makes the world’s best-selling pick-up (also the world’s best-selling vehicle type).

They decided that apart from Brunei and Singapore, a pick-up would be popular in the other ASEAN markets. It was a vehicle which suited the diverse requirements because, unlike more advanced countries, the same motorist could not afford to buy a few different vehicle for different needs. A pick-up was also simpler and did not require high-tech engineering, thus making it cheaper to design and build.

However, Ford also adopted a strategy which changed the image of the pick-up. In Thailand, it introduced its new pick-up, the Ranger, as the safest pick-up available and that scored a lot of points with buyers in the second largest pick-up market in the world. The other pick-ups in the market did not emphasise safety, let alone include airbags and Ford was commended for being thoughtful in this respect.

In Malaysia, it saw that the pick-up had traditionally been treated as a workhorse and therefore received little in terms of features. It was usually a basic vehicle with the strength in off-road capability and carrying cargo (or a dozen workers in the back!). Apart from East Malaysia, people did not think of owning a pick-up as their primary vehicle because of the image and lack of comfort.

Ford Malaysia changed all that almost overnight by introducing the Ranger as ‘lifestyle machine’. It was timely because the JPJ rules had just changed; until 1997, only a company could register a pick-up and individuals could not buy one and have it registered as a private vehicle. This naturally limited sales and popularity but when the rules changed, new opportunities for the car companies appeared and Ford Malaysia was the first to take advantage of them. As the new ruling was only for double cabs, only the Ranger double cab was offered.

The Ranger was an amazing success and it became ‘cool’ to be seen behind the wheel of one and it was acceptable to park it in the places where the rich and beautiful (and also those not so rich but pretend to be…) hang out. It had all the comforts of a sedan and also the space because it had full-sized seats behind. Plus you could also head into the jungle to fish when you wanted to and it could go many places that people never thought possible.

The other important thing for Ford in the Malaysian market was that pick-ups had, for some reason, had import duty waived. So it was possible to price them cheaper and that too has been a factor in boosting sales. They are affordable alternatives to the sedan.

Ford’s success with the Ranger forced all the other companies to quickly change their product positioning for pick-ups and one by one, the Ranger was challenged. But for the other companies, it was a matter of product cycle as they could not just change designs overnight. Most took the fastest route of enhancing the equipment levels of their pick-ups and trying to present a ‘new image’. It worked in some cases but in others, new ‘clothes’ but old feel still didn’t impress buyers.

But eventually the others did get new models out which were more comfortable and had features which were truly integrated and not just added on in a hurry. So it’s time for the pioneer to start the next cycle and in Bangkok yesterday, Ford launched the next generation of the Ranger at the Bangkok International Motor Show. It is a world debut since Thailand is the only place where the Ranger is made (although CKD packs are sent to plants in other countries for local assembly).

The second generation of the Ranger is claimed to set a new standard in the industry in terms of engine performance, fuel economy, passenger comfort, safety features, excellent drivability, towing capacity and affordability.

The Ranger was Ford’s “ASEAN car’ and its development was integral with the major investment made to build a new plant in Thailand to serve as a pick-up manufacturing hub for the region. Today, the plant at Rayong also exports Rangers worldwide.

"When the first generation Ford Ranger came to Thailand, it revolutionized the entire pickup truck market with innovations that changed the pick-up standard – first with passenger airbags and ABS brakes in 1998; first with double cab bodystyle in 2000; and first with Rear Access System on Stretch Cab bodystyle in 2002. With the All-New Ford Ranger, we will again set a new standard in engine technology with the new DURATORQ commonrail engine that pushes the boundaries in performance and fuel economy. All these innovations come together in the All New Ford Ranger in a package that is tough, durable and best of all, affordable,” said John Fink, Executive Vice President of Ford Thailand.

"The All-New Ford Ranger is an authentic modern American Tough Truck; through its bold statement of ‘Built Ford Tough’ design and technology innovation, the All-New Ford Ranger really hits the bullseye directly where our customers demand so," he added.

The new Ranger has a commonrail DOHC 16-valve engine which uses a new generation high pressure Bosch Commonrail Fuel Injection System with Variable Geometry Turbocharger to deliver exceptional engine performance, best-in-class torque, rapid engine response and high fuel economy. The 2.5-litre engine produces 143 ps and 330 Nm of torque at a low 1800 rpm, yet provides a claimed 22% better fuel economy than the previous 2.5-litre turbodiesel. There is also a 3.0-litre engine as a new addition to the Ranger, and this boasts best-in-class 380 Nm torque at 1800 rpm with 156 ps power output. The turbodiesel powertrain is mated to a new 5-speed manual transmission (no mention of an automatic but it must surely come).

Although Ford showed a concept pick-up at the motorshow in Bangkok last year which many thought to be the next Ranger design, the real one launched this week actually has a closer resemblance to the previous generation and not the striking looks of the concept model. Not surprisingly, the new Ranger carries a distinctive ruggedness that runs from the grille up into the power dome of the bonnet, through the body, and down into the rear. The raised beltline contributes to its bold and commanding profile while the characteristic 3-bar front grille is wider, allowing for improved air-flow and superior cooling for heavy duty hauling and towing. The split front fascia houses new rectangular headlamps (with clear lenses) designed for off-road application.

While the new Ranger exterior speaks of "Tough Truck", the interior offers a space that provides a comfortable and luxurious experience to the driver and passengers through its sedan-like modern and refined interiors, and superb suspension. The "power-theme" of the exterior is carried forward to the interiors through bright chrome details. The modern and sporty three-cluster instrument panel is complemented by the bright chrome centre stack housing the integrated CD/MP3 player with radio tuner.

The seats have been ergonomically designed with front-seat cushions, side bolsters and bigger headrests to offer better support and comfort for long-distance traveling. The rear seats have improved seat-back angles and feature a central armrest.

There are plenty of uniquely designed storage areas for convenience and functionality, including up to five cup holders and two 1-litre bottle holders in the front door trim panels. The large centre console consists of upper storage for smaller items and larger lower bin for CDs and larger items. The cavernous 8.1-litre glovebox offers more stowage room too. In an industry first, a working tray table pulls out neatly from the instrument panel, suitable for placing lunch or completing paperwork.

The new Ranger continues to have a ladder frame chassis which has increased rigidity and a tougher and more durable suspension contributes to improved ride capability. Steering has been optimized for easy handling at low speed and firmer steering at higher speeds, allowing for easier low speed parking maneuvers and minimum of understeer and oversteer at high speeds.

The brake system is designed for superior braking control under real-world loaded work truck conditions. Braking is smooth, stable and controlled. With Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), the system automatically adjusts to the load carried to give balanced stopping power whatever the load behind.

The load area behind the cab box has been raised 60 mm to offer an impressive cargo volume capable of carrying one tonne payload and up to three tonne towing capacity. A unique shelving system incorporated into the pickup box's inner lip design allows for flexible and optimal cargo management.

The new Ranger continues to be a leader in safety standards in the pickup truck segment through its industry-first seat side airbag. Front driver and passenger airbags are standard and three-point seatbelts in outboard positions come with seatbelt pre-tensioners that provide improved passenger restraint. Superior body construction designed to manage the crash forces away from vehicle occupants, side intrusion beam for side impact protection and the raised door beltline provide added safety and protection, allowing Ford to make the claim that the new Ranger is one of the safest trucks in the market today.

The new Range generation will certainly come to Malaysia eventually but the word from Ford Malaysia’s MD, Mike Pease, is that ‘it is unlikely to be here before 2007 – but don’t assume it will come either’. He was unwilling to indicate when the new model would be in the showrooms but explained that locally-assembled (CKD) products always come later than completely built-up (CBU) imported vehicles. This is to enable the ‘mother plant’ which supplies the CKD packs to establish and stabilise new manufacturing processes in their own plants prior to rolling them out to other assembly plants.

In Malaysia, the Ranger has been positioned as a tough truck suitable for active lifestyles and this has been a very successful marketing strategy which made it ‘cool’ to be driving a pick-up in town. In Thailand, the world’s second largest pick-up market, it has been positioned as a tough multi-purpose vehicle which is also among the safest in its segment.

“Before we launch any product in Malaysia, we also need to complete field testing and evaluation to make sure vehicles are fully compatible with operating conditions, and most importantly customer needs and usage. And of course, we do also need to think carefully about the level of feature change (and resulting pricing) when we plan for new products. In the current environment our current Malaysian Ranger has a good reputation based on an excellent value for money equation – it has been developed and is suited to customers needs, as well as being affordable,” he said.

Mr Pease’s frank and prompt response to our query is appreciated as people in many other companies often try to avoid answering questions about new products, sometimes even trying to deny they exist! He obviously realizes that it would be pointless to say otherwise and instead offers comments which are interesting. Nevertheless, Ford Malaysia – and other companies – would also be wondering if they should bother to assemble the next generation in Malaysia at all, given the government’s indifference to providing a clear ‘roadmap’ for the auto industry to refer to. The incentives to invest further and assemble locally seem to be lacking and by some calculations, it also seems cheaper to import from Thailand or the Philippines. The much better economies of scale allow the factory cost to be lower and can offset the import or excise duties so why bother to assemble locally then?