All-new Ford Ranger rolls in

A BRAZILIAN 'capoeira' performance kicked off Ford's introduction of the new Ranger in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The skill and energy on display was almost palpable and to which Ford seemingly would like people to associate its latest product for Malaysia. The all-new Ranger was also introduced to the Sultanate by Premier Automobiles Sdn Bhd.

Ford designers call the new Ranger (pictured) styling "21st Century Tough" defining it as a vehicle with a taut and muscular body, while offering a contemporary look and feel with features and comfort normally found in passenger cars.

The latest Ranger is based on a new global compact pickup truck platform. As a result, everything is new engines, gearboxes, frame, suspension, steering system, brake system, chassis, exterior sheet metal and vehicle interior.

The list continues with brand-new features for safety and passenger comfort.

The truck is available in three variants: a Duratorq TDCi1 2.2L Variable Geometry (VG) Turbo diesel engine with six-speed automatic transmission (6-AT) or manual transmission (6-MT) or a Duratorq TDCi 3.2L VG Turbo diesel engine 6-AT.

The Ranger's Duratorq TDCi 2.2L VG Turbo engine delivers 150 PS and 375Nm of torque. It offers fuel consumption of 8.1L/100 km2.

Equipped with the Duratorq TDCi 3.2L VG Turbo engine, the Wildtrak offers a power output of 200 PS with a hefty 470Nm of torque. The fuel consumption of the five-cylinder diesel engine in a combined cycle is among the leader in its class with fuel consumption at 8.91L/100 km2.

What's also notable about the Ranger is its water-wading capability.

Ford said it is among the best in the segment, with the Hi-Rider, XLT and Wildtrak models being able to wade through up to 800mm of water even when fully laden. It also boasts outstanding payload capacity of more than 1,400kg on some variants.

Safety is also improved this time around.

In addition to Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), other standard safety features include:

Load Adaptive Control (LAC): Optimal vehicle stability to help drivers manage their load

Emergency Brake Assist (EBA): Provides additional brake pressure in emergency stopping manoeuvres

Emergency Brake Light: Signals to other drivers by flashing the indicators when the vehicle decelerates quickly

In addition, the premium Ranger 3.2L Wildtrak is equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which uses advanced sensors to continuously monitor the path the vehicle is travelling on and compares it to the path the driver wants to follow, as indicated by the steering wheel.

Other features in the Wildtrak that assist vehicle stability and control include:

Hill Descent Control (HDC): Helps the driver on steep downhill grades

Hill Launch Assist (HLA): Helps the driver pull away on steep climb

Roll-Over Mitigation (ROM): Helps prevent the vehicle getting into a roll-over situation.

New and standard on on XLT variants are Bluetooth with Voice Control connectivity while the Wildtrak variant has a Dual Zone Climate Control as an added feature.

Ford Export & Growth Operations (Asia Pacific) regional manager David Westerman said "the all-new Ranger is the first pickup truck to be built under the One Ford strategy and has benefited tremendously from the full engineering expertise of Ford around the world."

Using the latest computer technologies, the product development team conducted about 30,000 computer-aided assessments on areas such as safety, durability, ergonomics, vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics during the virtual phase.

Of these, 7,500 virtual assessments were carried out in the under-body to ensure a robust vehicle foundation and more than 10,000 virtual assessments on the upper-body to align styling and functional requirements.

Once the all-new Ford Ranger prototypes were ready, they were tested extensively in 15 countries around the world during which they had to face severe heat and cold, monsoon rains, high altitudes as well as rushing rivers, arid deserts and potholed roads.

The prototypes clocked more than a million kilometres on the road supported by countless hours of exhaustive testing in state-of-the-art laboratories.

"The all-new Ranger is brought to you by Ford, a company that knows trucks, and can take on anything you throw at it. That's why we say it's 'all-new Ford Ranger versus the world'," said Westerman.

There is a waiting period of one year for the Wildtrak variant while it's three months for the XLT.

In Malaysia, Ford's 2011 retail sales soared 145 percent partly driven by the strong performance from full-year Ranger sales, which rose more than 17 percent from the previous year to 2,347 units. Since the Ford Ranger entered the Malaysian market in 1999, a total of over 35,000 Rangers have been sold.

The Star/ANN