Who knew this about the Ford Ranger?

[Dunedain Ranger]

Here's an article in the latest FA:
https://fordauthority.com/2024/02/farley-says-ford-almost-pulled-out-of-australia/

It caught my eye, but this is what I found the most interesting - it's an extract from the article - Farley states:

“The second highest volume vehicle at Ford is Ranger. Ranger globally outsells Super Duty. We are now number two in pickups outside of the U.S. and pickups are growing big time. We sell 5,000 Raptors in China for $150,000 each, and we’re the best-selling vehicle in Australia. We almost pulled out of Australia. The Ranger is number one in South Africa, huge pickup market. We’re number one in pickups in Europe. The Ranger is growing and super profitable in South America. It is our only vehicle in South America.”

Who knew???

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[LaBalbe]

It makes you wonder why they still don't promote the Ranger more in N. Am. I get that the F-150 has been a best-seller for most (if not all) of everyone's life, but a full-size truck doesn't fit everyone's needs, budget or lifestyle.

 

[RedDakooter05]

The dude talks like trump wtf lmao.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

The Ranger competes with the Hilux as number 1 pickup throughout the world. Americans want big pickups, and the Tacoma dominates the US market for 'small', while F150s dominate for midsized. This doesn't surprise me at all. F series trucks will always be Ford's bread and butter in the US. Most Ranger owners probably went to look at the F150 and left with the Ranger when they realized it better suited their needs.

 

[Cmar]

The Hilux was the highest selling ute (pickup) in Australia by a large margin for many, many, years, the old (Mazda built) Ranger gave it a nudge from time to time, as did the Colorado and Nissan Navara (Frontier) and the Mitsubishi Triton, but the Triton was never really competitive.

Then a number of things happened, Nissan released the "D" series pickups which looked great, but were the most unreliable, appallingly built, riddled with QC issues, vehicles possibly ever made by Nissan, who first denied it, then later admitted it. Which cost Nissan a lot of market share over here.

Then GM announced their intention to stop building RHD vehicles for Australia, exit the Colorado.

Basically leaving Toyota Hilux, and a new Ford Ranger, with Mitsubishi, Ssangyong, and a couple of Chinese utes picking up crumbs. The new Ranger sold well but couldn't quite knock the Hilux off it's perch on the basis its near legendary " reliability and indestructibility", which actually did have some basis in fact, despite that otherwise, it was a pretty bare bones utility for the top dollar Toyota was asking, and technically behind the Ford Ranger in many areas.

Then Toyota took a bit of a tumble, firstly their D4D 3 litre Common rail diesels developed a reputation for failed injectors and cracked pistons, it literately wasn't if, but when, they were going to fail, Toyota tried to play it down, but this was an age of Facebook and on-line forums, and Toyota ended up replacing many engines, both in and out of warranty.

Then after releasing a new model 2.8 litre Diesel to replace the doomed D4D, this was the first Toyota engine sold here to feature a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Toyota got it spectacularly wrong, and many DPF's failed in the first few months of use, at very low mileages, only to be replaced by Toyota and fail again and again.
Every time a DPF would fail, it would effectively strand the car, not a good look in a country as large, and in places as sparsely populated as Australia. While DPF's continue to be a PITA in general, most other manufacturers selling diesels locally, including, Ford, the new model Nissans, Mitsibishi, and Hyundai / Kia didn't seem to be having the same issues to the same extent.

Toyota did eventually get on top of the issues, but the damage was done, the "indestructable Hilux" no longer was, and there was the bright, shiny, better optioned, and seemingly more reliable Ranger alternative. (Down the road Ford did have it's own reliability issues with the 3.2 diesel, and 6 speed auto, but that's another story)

 

[Cmar]

Though it recently discontinued the Puma in Australia, Ford will sell the all-electric Puma Gen-E there, and it’s facing high demand for the newly-imported Ford F-150, too. In fact, the automaker will reportedly continue to offer right-hand drive vehicles moving forward, which bodes well for Australia – one of the few places on earth where folks drive on the left-hand side of the road.

Really, someone needs to get their facts straight.

From Wikipedia

RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, northern Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia), while 75 countries use LHT,[2] which account for about a sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population.[3]

One 1/6 of the world's land area, and third of the worlds population is not "a few places"

 

[Colo_Ranger]

RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, northern Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia), while 75 countries use LHT,[2] which account for about a sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population.[3]

One 1/6 of the world's land area, and third of the worlds population is not "a few places"

Fun fact: St. Thomas uses left hand drive vehicles on the left side of the road. It was quite the conundrum for my father in law, who frequently drove on the wrong side of the road there.

 

[Cmar]

Fun fact: St. Thomas uses left hand drive vehicles on the left side of the road. It was quite the conundrum for my father in law, who frequently drove on the wrong side of the road there.

Yes I know, I've actually been there, makes overtaking fun too. I also remember seeing on the same trip a hire car company in Grand Cayman which had 6 LHD and 6 RHD Suzuki Sierras out in front to hire! If you've ever get to the South Pacific, most of the South Pacific drives on the left, the standout exception being Vanuatu, this being it was a former joint British / French colony, where although nominally driving on the right, in reality they seem to drive on both! I have a feeling that in time like Samoa they may change to the left, to be in step with the rest of the region.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

Talking globally that's one of the things I loved about this truck and influenced my test drive and ultimately purchase. It's trusted around the world!

 

[Cmar]

Yes it was designed here for the global market from the outset - hence the name. I'm surprised that North America was one of the last areas to get get it.

 

[MountainGoat]

The dude talks like trump wtf lmao.

We have the best trucks in the world. They're the best. Nobody builds trucks like we do. They're the best ever. The best ever trucks.

 

[Cmar]

Those trucks are going to take back America! In fairness, to some degree they have!

 

[MountainGoat]

Those trucks are going to take back America! In fairness, to some degree they have!

(Looks at Chevy) I funded you! I funded you didn't I? I sent them my tax dollars. I'm perfectly calm. You're the basket case, Bailout Motors. Don't get nervous now...

 

[LawnMM]

It makes you wonder why they still don't promote the Ranger more in N. Am. I get that the F-150 has been a best-seller for most (if not all) of everyone's life, but a full-size truck doesn't fit everyone's needs, budget or lifestyle.

It's only the best seller because they stack the deck to keep it that way.

Way more Rangers would be sold here if they advertised it and promoted it instead of giving people a free kidney and six months of mortgage payments to buy an F150 instead

 

[RedlandRanger]

It's only the best seller because they stack the deck to keep it that way.

Way more Rangers would be sold here if they advertised it and promoted it instead of giving people a free kidney and six months of mortgage payments to buy an F150 instead

They do not want to lose the "best selling pickup for xx years in a row".

In NA, I still maintain the reason the Ranger doesn't sell better is because they aren't MAKING that many Rangers. They've prioritized Bronco builds instead of Ranger builds. I think I read in January they only built a little over 100 Rangers - that is really sad.

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