Photo: Ford
Manufactured at the Silverton Assembly Plant in South Africa for the European market, the mid-size Ranger is so in demand in Europe that Ford decided to add a third shift. Sales set a year-to-date record in 20 markets across Europe, hitting the highest level since the Ranger was introduced in the Old Continent in 1999.
As if that wasn’t enough, the pickup with the Blue Oval up front holds a market share of 30.4 percent. “We are introducing fresh SUVs at the right time to meet growing customer demand. Meanwhile, our leadership in commercial vehicles continues with sales volume up in the second quarter,” declared Roelant de Waard, general manager of passenger vehicles and vice president of marketing, sales, and service at Ford of Europe.
Turning our attention back to the Silverton Assembly Plant, more than $215 million were invested in the facility since 2017 to support the third shift. Production will increase from 506 to 720 units per day, which translates to a lot of pickup trucks for a whole lot of customers.
Over in Germany, the Ranger is available with three cabs, rear- and four-wheel drive, as well as the 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel. The four-cylinder lump is more powerful than the 3.2-liter Duratorq inline-five turbo diesel, making the EcoBlue the most appropriate engine for the Ranger Raptor off-road truck.
The gentle giant retails at €66,770 in this part of the world, which is a lot of money for a mid-size pickup when you think about it. No fewer than six driving modes are available, and the most important is Baja Mode. Aggressive on the outside and business on the inside, the Ranger Raptor also features FordPass App, FordPass Connect, 4G LTE connectivity to the Internet, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Shifting gears is the job of a 10-speed automatic transmission, which sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to 17-inch wheels sporting all-terrain rubber. Thanks to a ground clearance of up to 283 millimeters and a water fording depth of 850 millimeters, there’s no denying the Ranger Raptor is a fun toy for big boys off the beaten track.
Turning our attention back to the Silverton Assembly Plant, more than $215 million were invested in the facility since 2017 to support the third shift. Production will increase from 506 to 720 units per day, which translates to a lot of pickup trucks for a whole lot of customers.
Over in Germany, the Ranger is available with three cabs, rear- and four-wheel drive, as well as the 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel. The four-cylinder lump is more powerful than the 3.2-liter Duratorq inline-five turbo diesel, making the EcoBlue the most appropriate engine for the Ranger Raptor off-road truck.
The gentle giant retails at €66,770 in this part of the world, which is a lot of money for a mid-size pickup when you think about it. No fewer than six driving modes are available, and the most important is Baja Mode. Aggressive on the outside and business on the inside, the Ranger Raptor also features FordPass App, FordPass Connect, 4G LTE connectivity to the Internet, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Shifting gears is the job of a 10-speed automatic transmission, which sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to 17-inch wheels sporting all-terrain rubber. Thanks to a ground clearance of up to 283 millimeters and a water fording depth of 850 millimeters, there’s no denying the Ranger Raptor is a fun toy for big boys off the beaten track.
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