Butch Ranger

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By TERRY MARTIN FORD displayed an Australian-designed show truck at the Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok late last year, demonstrating the design direction the Blue Oval brand is taking for the next-generation Ranger one-tonne ute. Due for release in 2010 – although the current economic conditions could see that pushed back – the next-generation Ranger is being designed and engineered in Australia on a new global platform codenamed T6, and this is the first indication of what the vehicle will look like. The sporting intentions are obvious, which is a significant move considering the unremarkable sales of the current version and the emergence of high-performance light trucks Down Under – not to mention the question mark hanging over the medium- to long-term future of Falcon-based utilities. Ford Ranger Max // The Max Factor Tough new concept is more than just a cosmetic make-over Compare, Select and Save Questions over the Falcon Ute have arisen in recent times after Ford Motor Co placed its global rear-wheel drive development program on hold and revealed that it was considering a front-wheel drive future for the Falcon. Such a move could mean the end of the popular and iconic Falcon-based utes as we r Ê N H 6 /13
know them, or at least a radical shift. It could also see the end of Falcon ute production in Australia, which in turn could see the Ranger – which is currently built in Thailand – rolling down the assembly line at Ford’s Broadmeadows plant in Victoria. Being built off a workhorse (rather than passenger car) platform virtually guarantees the Ranger will never be in the same performance league as the Falcon ute. Compare, Select and Save Mechanical specifications for the nextgeneration truck are still to be divulged, but the concept shown here, known as the Ranger Max, at least features a strong and sporting new design with a number of elements expected to make it onto the production version. Note in particular the big three-bar chrome grille, bonnet ‘power dome’, deep-dish 18inch alloy wheels, a unique crossbar/sports bar (sculpted with air scoops and integrated grabhandles) that runs across the back of the cab, and a customised remote-control hard tonneau that covers the tub. Chief designer Paul Gibson, who works with Ford’s Australian-based Asia Pacific and Africa development team, confirmed that the Ranger Max carried design cues that could be seen in the forthcoming all-new model. “The Ranger Max is not just about creating show excitement,” said Mr Gibson. “We have Away in a Ranger … with a tray for a bed. a great opportunity to test design themes that may make their way into production. “Ranger Max says exciting things about the possibilities for truck fans in Ranger’s future. “When you look at the front design, the three-bar grille, the overt nostrils and open mouth, you’re looking straight into the face of Ranger’s evolution. There are design elements we are developing and Ranger Max is one possibility. r Ê N H 7 /13
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Butch Ranger

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