The Ford Ranger is still several years away from its next generation, but development is already underway in Australia. Ford Australia has confirmed that its Melbourne-based engineering team is working on the new midsize pickup, although the project could eventually be moved away from the team despite praise from Ford CEO Fadi Mawal.
Ford Australia Is Developing the Next Ranger
Mawal told Australia’s Drive that engineering work on the next-generation Ranger has already begun. The Melbourne-based team includes around 1,500 engineers and is also developing the next Ford Everest SUV, which shares the Ranger’s platform and is sold in Australia and other international markets.
“Our plan is to continue to lead development of Ranger and Everest into the future,” Mawal said. “Our team here is recognized as a world-class team, we’re delivering best-in-class products, we’re doing it better than many others around the world, so we hope to continue to do that.”
However, the future of Ford’s engineering operation in Australia has faced uncertainty. Earlier this year, Ford CEO Jim Farley demanded government funding to keep the team operating, according to a previous Drive report.
Farley made the comments during a visit to Australia to examine the current Ranger and its competitors, including models from BYD and GWM. During the trip, he also spent time with Australian farmers and tradespeople, taking part in pickup truck tasks in the Australian market rather than the American way.
Australia Has Developed Exclusive Ranger Models
Ford’s Australian team has not only developed the Ranger but has also produced models exclusive to the market. One example is the Ranger Super Duty, which offers greater towing and payload capabilities in a smaller package than an F-Series.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Australian engineering team, development of the next Ranger is continuing for now.
“We’re working on that [new-generation Ranger] right now, and so we’ll continue to work on that until someone says otherwise,” Mawal told Drive.
Ford Remains in Talks With Australia’s Government
Mawal also said Ford remains in discussions with the Australian government about the future of the engineering operation.
“[Farley] wanted to see whether they want to partner with us on that journey,” Mawal said. “And so we’re still in dialogue with the government about that, and we’d be open if they wanted to partner with us to secure the future.”
Mawal remains optimistic that Ford Australia will stay in place and complete development of the next-generation Ranger.
