Premium model supply boost for new Ford Ranger

Ford says it has secured increased V6 diesel engine and Premium Pack production as it seeks to shorten delivery times for the top-spec 2022 Ford Ranger models.

Waiting lists are now stretching out as far as 15 months for the new-generation Ford Ranger Wildtrak and 12 months for the flagship Ford Ranger Raptor, based on internet chat forums where buyers have posted correspondence with their dealers.

The new Ranger started arriving in showrooms last week after its planned June launch was delayed by COVID-related supply issues.

Ford says it has secured 10,000 Rangers for delivery in the first two months on sale and is hopeful of maintaining that supply rate for the rest of the year, but cannot guarantee it.

If it can consistently move 5000 Rangers per month, Ford will challenge the Toyota HiLux for top-selling honours in the market.

“It’s not really about that right now,” said Ford Australia president and CEO Andrew Birkic.

“If you look at VFACTS [vehicle sales] now it’s going to be driven by supply, there are peaks and troughs. Of course we look at it, absolutely, but is it consuming me? No.

“What’s more consuming me is how do we get the right level of vehicles to meet the demand we have got.”

Ford revealed in June that total Ranger orders had topped 17,000. While that number has certainly grown since then, an update is yet to be provided.

It intends to provide updated model-by-model waiting times which it will publish on its website.

“Obviously where we have greater levels of demand I would love that waiting list to come down to deliver vehicles to our customers and that is our primary objective,” said Birkic.

Demand for the $70,190 (plus on-road costs) Ranger Wildtrak with the Lion V6 turbo-diesel and twin-turbo petrol V6 Ranger Raptor, priced from $84,490 (plus ORCs), have vastly outstripped supply from the Ford production plant in Thailand.

A key hold-up has been the Matrix LED headlights that are part of the optional Premium Pack for Ranger Wildtrak and standard with Raptor.

The global microchip shortage has contributed to this delay and Ford is advising its customers that taking the Wildtrak without the Premium Pack will shorten delivery times.

The Premium Pack also includes an auxiliary switch bank and B&O sound system.

“What we are trying to do is get more Premium Packs and we have been successful,” confirmed Birkic. “We have got more Premium Packs and we have got more V6s.

“We have a planning and programming process and we say, ‘Our dealers are telling us this is what the customers want.’ We then go to the people we deal with and say, ‘We want more Premium Packs and we want a lot more.’

“It’s certainly high [demand], on the early adopters on V6, so we are getting a lot more Premium Packs.”

The additional V6 turbo-diesel engine supply is aimed at reducing wait times on Wildtrak and Sport Rangers.

While he acknowledged the significant supply issues, Birkic played down dealer estimates of delivery times out to 12 months on top-end Ranger models.

“I think most dealers would probably be quoting around that because they don’t have visibility of their allocations for next year,” he said.

“What they like to do is say, ‘I’ve got a vehicle, Ford’s given me a vehicle, I can give you some level of certainty’ because they want the right level of expectation for their customer.”

Birkic admitted the shortage of high-end Ranger production was not only the result of component shortages but also the order mix placed by Ford Australia before production began.

And while he acknowledged that mix would be adjusted, he was confident less expensive Ranger models would become increasingly popular.

“We determined the mix some time ago and we also have customers who want the other vehicles as well, so we will build the mix as we predetermined because that’s what we need to do to prove out engineering in the plant.

“We will start to get more feedback once Ranger’s in the hands of the dealers and I anticipate the mix to be heavily skewed toward V6.

“But I think once the fleets, government come back in you will see a shifting back to biturbo [four-cylinder].

“It’s more the private small-business people who have said, ‘I have a Ranger now and I love it and I want one of those [V6]’. The fleets need to go through, ‘What’s the monthly rental? What’s the residual value on it? We need additional information, we’d like to drive it…’

“We’ll start to see that. We don’t want to go feast-famine, feast-famine.”

See our review of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 here.

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