VW’s workhorse will be able to borrow the Ranger platform.
Ford introduced the Ranger in the United States several years ago. However, the current version of the global workhorse is actually available since 2011. It took seven years for the Blue Oval to bring the truck here. We still haven’t seen the high-performance Raptor in many markets around the world. The company is now revealing more details about the next iteration, which will be available in many international markets next year.
Andrew Birkic from Ford Australia, the president of the company, stated to Auto Sales that the next Ranger has an advantage over the new Volkswagen Amarok. The next generation of the VW pickup will be based on a Ranger platform. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recently admitted that the Amarok would have been discontinued if it wasn’t for the partnership with Ford.
The next Ranger, which was developed primarily in Australia is being designed to be a global player as it will be sold worldwide in more than 180 different countries. Car Sales’ Birkic stated that Ford is “a luxury, they have an advantage, and we have a headstart over them [Volkswagen].” We have a strong history, and Ranger is a strong global player. For us, it’s about how we can improve and raise the bar. But for them it’s a completely different play.
While he mentioned that VW would likely position the Amarok in a different way, he admitted that he doesn’t know how the German ute will differ from the Ranger. Birkic believes VW will bring a “different dynamic” to the truck. The truck will be built at Ford’s Silverton plant in South Africa beginning 2022.
Ford has not been forthcoming with details about the new Ranger. However, a company insider said that the next-generation truck would be available in the US in 2022. This is approximately one year after the international launch. Australian media reports that the Raptor variant has been earmarked for North America, with a revamped EcoBoost V6 engine and other upgrades.
Auto Bild reports that VW is developing a powerful version of the Amarok, which would bear the “R” suffix. Although it’s speculative, the German magazine claims that a powerful four-cylinder diesel engine with 300 horsepower could power the Amarok R. The performance pickup could be available as soon as 2023, or one year after the regular model.