Whether it's from the latest motor show or the back doors of a carmaker near you, CarPoint Confidential features the good oil other sources either won't publish, don't care about or don't know. Heard an automotive rumour or new model tip? Then let us know at editor@carpoint.com.au
>> Valiant effort
CarPoint has been able to confirm that although Chrysler’s use of the Ranger name (as the base model Valiant) prevented Ford from following the 1983 US switch to the Ranger name with its Courier light commercial, it was the Hino Ranger truck range that created problems later.
When the Ranger name came up for grabs last year, Ford Australia jumped at the chance to bring the model into line with other world markets. Since then, Ford Australia has been given the responsibility to develop the global replacement for the new Ranger series previewed at this year’s show… Thus the name change was perfectly timed.
>> Ranger compared
More than one informed visitor compared the new Ford Ranger’s dual-cab side profile to that of the latest best-selling (and handsome) Nissan Navara. It’s a very different look to that of the previous Courier which could look high and a little clumsy from some angles -- an impression accentuated by what was one of the shallowest load beds in this type of vehicle.
The new model appears to have a low roofline but this is an illusion created by the new, deeper load tub. Headroom in the new model is generous and the new cabin, dash design and plastics are on the way to setting a new standard for the class. Alas under the flash new dash, the old umbrella handbrake remains and the steering column offers height-adjustment only.
>> Copping abuse, and coming back smiling
One of the key reasons why Toyota models sell in such great numbers despite their often mediocre assessments by ‘experts’ is their reliability – even when abused (the car companies call such treatment: “poor ownership habits”).
Industry durability testing once tested vehicles that were maintained to the manufacturer’s standards. However, Toyota demonstrated this is not the path to market leadership as owners are quick to judge failures of a vehicle without factoring in their own contribution.
CarPoint has confirmed that Ford Australia introduced a new durability testing regime for the BA Falcon and Territory in a bid to close the gap on the market leaders in this area. According to senior Ford engineers, the fundamental requirement of the new testing is that the car’s reliability and integrity will still be intact at the 10-year point. Because the new testing regime examines 90th percentile usage over 10 years, this translates to most private Falcon and Territory examples being able to comfortably exceed 10 years of reliable operation.
Also part of Ford’s new testing is the Cologne cycle which replicates many years of use and abuse without changing any of the engine’s vital fluids. The new approach also ensures that any catastrophic hard system failure such as a broken engine component is pre-empted by a soft-system deterioration that doesn’t stop the car even if it impacts on its functioning.
A soft-system deterioration such as a broken drive belt or blown radiator hose which would once cause total destruction of an engine is now accommodated in the engine’s operating conditions to allow the owner a margin to undertake repairs without terminally damaging the engine.
Ford’s unique engine electronics which will keep an engine running without coolant under an emergency is typical of this new approach.
While none of this is recommended under normal usage, anecdotal reports from fleet users suggest that the new approach is working. It also explains why changes over the various facelifts since the BA’s release in late 2002 have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
A closer inspection of Toyota’s new model policy over the years will reveal frequent styling and cabin changes while the fundamentals in chassis and driveline components change very little. Holden’s local durability testing for its local models and imports are reflecting the same philosophy, the most noteworthy of which was the recent boost in V8 engine sump capacity to counter owner neglect over the latest extended service intervals.