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Ranger Outsells Hilux in South Africa, Ending 34-Year Reign

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Ranger Outsells Hilux

The Ford Ranger outsold the Toyota Hilux in South Africa by 157 units, which is a much bigger deal than it may sound like

The 2015 Ford Ranger was the best-selling 4×4 in South Africa in November, beating the Toyota Hilux by 157 units.

On its face, that sentence doesn’t mean very much. Makes and models jockey for position on sales charts all the time, and revered global brands like Ford and Toyota are no stranger to their share of ups and downs.

But the Ranger’s status as chart topper is of great importance to Ford, particularly in light of recent efforts to become a stronger brand in Africa and the Middle East. In South Africa, it’s an event of great historical significance.

Context: November’s victory for the Ranger marks the first time that a vehicle other than the Toyota bakkie has topped South Africa’s sales charts in 34 years.

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), the Ranger moved 3,054 units to the Hilux’s 2,897 in November—a seemingly slim margin of victory, but one that is proportionally larger in a market where all of 33,278 new vehicles sold during the month. A bit more context: Ford sells 60,000 F-Series pickup trucks in an average month in the United States alone.

“We’re thrilled that South Africans continue to show such confidence in Ford’s products, especially our locally produced Ranger,” said Mark Kaufman, Vice President, Marketing, Sales, and Service, Ford South Africa. “We are exceptionally proud of our Ranger’s achievement as it was South Africa’s best-selling pick-up for the first time and topped 3000 unit sales for the second consecutive month.”

Ranger outsells Hilux

Ford Ranger Single Cab Chassis starts around $15,800 USD

A large reason for the Ranger’s surging sales is its comparatively low price. South Africans can buy a single cab chassis Ranger without a truck bed for around $15,800 USD, with a single cab truck starting around $17,000 USD and the line-topping Wildtrak double cab starting around $41,250 USD. Comparatively, the cheapest Hilux starts around $26,000 USD.

Ranger outsells Hilux

Ranger Wildtrak starts at $41,250 USD

Ford intends to expand its presence in the region in 2015 by introducing new models including the Mustang, Fusion, and Transit Connect.

News Source: Cars.co.za