Production of the new Ford Ranger — no not that new Ford Ranger … or that possible new Ford Ranger — kicked off in February at the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, South Africa. Production includes the Ford Ranger Raptor, which will be powered by the all-new 2.0-liter EcoBlue Bi-Turbo diesel engine built at the Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth.
“Following the investment of over R3-billion (approximately $214 million USD) in our local operations and extensive upgrades to our plants over the past 18 months, we are delighted to see the first of the new Ford Ranger models coming off our production line,” said Neale Hill, Managing Director, Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region. “This is an extremely important and exciting year for the Ford Ranger, which will also see the launch of the first-ever Ranger Raptor that is undoubtedly one of this year’s most highly anticipated new models.”
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Ford revealed the new Ranger in January, confirming that the Ranger Raptor’s 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo and new 10-speed automatic transmission will be available for other high trim level variants, joining a lineup that includes a 2.0-liter EcoBlue Single Turbo engine, the 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi, and the 3.2-liter Duratorq TDCi.
In addition to an expansive engine lineup, the 2019 Ford Ranger will offer first-in-class Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and Active Park Assist with the Ranger Wildtrak, as well as SYNC 3 with Navigation.
Production will first focus on the conventional Ranger lineup before shifting to the Ford Ranger Raptor. The Raptor recently won 4×4 of the Year from 4×4 Australia in the Australian Motoring Awards.
The Ford Ranger recently made its return to the United States, where it is produced at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant.
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