Friday, October 07, 2016

Ford starts producing more Ford Ranger pickup trucks in Thailand to meet demand & photos of a Ford Ranger Wildtrak

A bit of regional automotive news now folks. Ford Motor Company has announced the official start of production for the Ford Ranger pickup truck at its Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) facility to help meet extraordinary demand across the Asia Pacific region.

Currently the Ranger is being built at Ford’s joint-venture facility, AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) in Rayong, This facility remains as Ford’s main production facility for Ranger in Asia Pacific. The AutoAlliance factory produces Ford and Mazda vehicles if you are curious.

With AAT forecasted to operate at or near maximum capacity in the very near future, Ford had invested an additional US$186 million in the FTM facility to allow for increased Ranger production. 

Ford had upgraded the Ranger sometime last year and it has continued to be a sales success throughout Asia Pacific. The Ranger is Ford’s best-selling pickup truck in the Asia Pacific region. This includes being the best-selling pickup truck overall in New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as the second-best selling pickup in Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Full details are in the press release below.

On a similar note, we had a go in a Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak recently and it was a very capable pickup truck which we thoroughly enjoyed testing. One of the most characterful pickup trucks you could buy in Malaysia today. A review on it should be out within the next few weeks. In the meantime, here are some photos of it.






PRESS RELEASE
Ford Kicks Off Ranger Production at Ford Thailand Manufacturing

  • Ford invested additional $186 million in FTM for incremental Ranger production volume to meet extraordinary customer demand across AP region

  • Hirunya Suchinai, BOI Secretary-General, highlights Ford’s role in further strengthening Thailand’s position as a leading automotive manufacturing and export hub


BANGKOK, Thailand, 7 October 2016 – Ford Motor Company announced the official start of production for the segment-defining Ranger pickup truck at its Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) facility to help meet extraordinary demand across the Asia Pacific region.

The Ranger is also built at Ford’s joint-venture facility, AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT), which remains the company’s main production facility for Ranger in Asia Pacific.

With AAT forecast to operate at or near maximum capacity for the foreseeable future, Ford invested an additional US$186 million in the FTM facility to allow for increased Ranger production.

The Ranger is Ford’s best-selling pickup truck in the Asia Pacific region. This includes being the best-selling pickup truck overall in New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as the second-best selling pickup in Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

As the number three pickup truck in Thailand, the Ranger has continued to increase segment share since the all-new Ranger was launched in 2011. This includes capturing its highest ever share of the segment in August at more than 10 percent.

The incremental Ranger volume will allow us to meet strong customer demand across the region for this Built Ford Tough truck,” said Mark Kaufman, president, Ford ASEAN. “Our additional investment in FTM also underscores our long-term confidence in Thailand, including the world-class quality being delivered by our workforce.”

Ford is one of the largest automotive investors in Thailand, having invested a total of more than US$2.7 billion between its wholly-owned and joint-venture manufacturing facilities, and currently employs about 10,000 people in Thailand.

Hirunya Suchinai, secretary-general, Thailand Board of Investment, said, “On behalf of the Thailand Board of Investment, I would like to congratulate Ford Motor Company on this auspicious occasion. Ford continues to play an important role in the ongoing development of our automotive industry, and their latest milestone will help further strengthen Thailand’s position as a leading automotive manufacturing and export hub in the region.”

Ford launched the new Ranger last year, bringing a new level of comfort and refinement to its segment without compromising on the rugged, ‘Built Ford Tough’ heritage.

With an array of smart technologies combined with off-road capability and fuel efficiency, the new Ranger continues to set the industry benchmark in the pickup truck segment for design, comfort and refinement.

The Ford Ranger remains one of the most capable trucks in its class. With a class-leading ability to wade through water up to 800 mm deep, and with 230 mm of ground clearance. It is designed and engineered to handle to most extreme terrains with ease.

The smartest pick-up
The Ranger boasts a full array of cutting-edge technology to help drivers stay connected and in control.

  • SYNC in-car connectivity systems allows drivers to use voice commands to control the car’s entertainment system and climate controls and features a user-friendly touchscreen with color-coded corners for easy menu navigation
  • Front and Rear Park Assist uses sensors to detect obstacles and provide audible warnings when the vehicle approaches obstructions at low speeds, such as when parking. A rear-view camera gives a clear view behind the vehicle, giving greater confidence when parking and hitching up a trailer
  • Electronic Stability Program with rollover mitigation and trailer sway control helps to keep the vehicle under control even in adverse conditions

  • Other smart technologies on the new Ranger include:
    • Hill Launch Assist, to help drivers confidently start off from a slope
    • Hill Descent Control, which uses the traction control system to help drivers descend steep slopes at a constant speed
    • Adaptive Load Control, which adjusts the Electronic Stability Control system based on vehicle load
    • Emergency Brake Assistance, which provides additional pressure to the brake system to increase braking force when drivers apply the brakes quickly in an emergency situation


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