Ford Oz set to develop new SUV

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Where are they building the T6 & when will it be on sale here??

South Africa won the contract for T6 Ranger manufacturing, I believe it will be on sale next year.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by jpd80

South Africa won the contract for T6 Ranger manufacturing, I believe it will be on sale next year.

Thats going to be a problem as Thailand has free trade with us, so the price wont be able to be competitive with all the other Thai made dual cabs.

[Road_Warrior]

I think you will find that it will be made in a number of locations. Seth Aefrika is not going to be the one and only T6 manufacturer.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

I think you will find that it will be made in a number of locations. Seth Aefrika is not going to be the one and only T6 manufacturer.

Seeing as it'll be sold in most countries around the world. You would think they would set it up in more then one country.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/r...n-suv-variant/

Report: New Ford Ranger to spawn SUV variant

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Oct 22nd 2010 at 10:29AM

We already know we're not getting the all-new 2011 Ford Ranger pickup truck, while the rest of the world is. Now word on the street internet is that FoMoCo is planning on spawning an SUV variant based off the new Ranger's compact truck platform. With the Explorer going the I'm-just-a-car-under-here crossover route, a full-on body-on-frame SUV would be a welcome addition to the Ford lineup.

According to Ward's Auto, the new Ranger, internally known as project T6, was designed from the get-go to support a seven- or eight-passenger sport utility vehicle. The Ranger's growth spurt is the primary reason we are not gaining the new pickup truck in our market. The long-wheelbase dual-cab Ranger is nearly five inches longer than a single-cab Ford F-150. The two trucks are now too close in size, says Ford, and the departing version is on the outs because its ancient underpinnings are having increasing amounts of trouble meeting regulations, among other things.

[outback_ute]

I think the Americans are behind the news on this one.

Also the following is not true - "The long-wheelbase dual-cab Ranger is nearly five inches longer than a single-cab Ford F-150." I think this is due to some wrong info in the Ward's article they quote - Wards says it has a "130.7-in. (332-cm) wheelbase" whereas the wheelbase is actually 322cm or 126.7". The single cab F150 is 5412mm, the Ranger 5370mm.

Comparing to the US Ranger supercab, the new T6 Ranger is nearly 8" longer overall but only an 0.8" longer wheelbase. The US pickup does have a longer tray (6' versus 5'9") but the cab is much less 'super' - the rear seats are inward-facing 'jump' seats. Hard to see that the T6 would not sell over there really.

Getting back to the next-gen Everest, when you add the supposed new Holden model to the Challenger and Pathfinder there will be a lot of competition in the pickup-based SUV segment, then again with the Landcruiser and Patrol and even the Prado moving so far upmarket perhaps there will be decent volume.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

Getting back to the next-gen Everest, when you add the supposed new Holden model to the Challenger and Pathfinder there will be a lot of competition in the pickup-based SUV segment, then again with the Landcruiser and Patrol and even the Prado moving so far upmarket perhaps there will be decent volume.

Yes. For this reason I firmly believe that Ford would do well to have a more substantial 4x4/SUV lineup. Even if it is just a 3 tier lineup: Kuga, Territory and this T6 4x4. Or maybe something larger to take on the Landbruiser and Pootrol.

[vztrt]

Delhi show: Ford teases new Aussie-designed SUV

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25796C0006B985

First official teaser images of Ford’s Australian-designed Fiesta crossover emerge



20 December 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY

FORD has revealed the first teaser image of an all-new Fiesta-based micro-crossover that was designed in Australia for global consumption, ahead of its world premiere at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo in India on January 6.

Ford Australia will not confirm or deny its engineering and development role in the project, but has said the all-new model to be revealed in India next month will be sold Down Under, where it will be positioned below the compact Focus-based Kuga that finally joins the Australian-made Territory here in March.

These three Ford SUVs will eventually be joined by another SUV developed by Ford Australia, a more rugged seven-seat off-roader that will reportedly be called the Endeavor in some markets and is based on the locally designed T6 Ranger, alongside which it will be built in Thailand.

For now, the first official teaser image of the bright orange Delhi concept reveals a contemporary front-end featuring a narrow grille, clamshell bonnet design and Territory-style headlights that are different from the units on the rendering we published earlier this month.

As we reported then, a series of front and rear teaser images that recently appeared on – and then disappeared from - Ford of India’s public website confirmed the accuracy of the rendering, which originated in Brazil – another market in which the SUV will be sold.

The first official teaser images also revealed the pint-sized soft-roader will be powered by an EcoBoost direct-injection turbo-petrol four, most likely the just-released three-cylinder 1.0-litre version that stumps up at least 75kW and 200Nm of torque, although Ford’s 110kW/240Nm 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbo four is also possible.

The Australian-designed budget high-rider is expected to be called the EcoSport in India, where it will be built. EcoSport is a nameplate Ford has used for a mid-size SUV based on the previous-generation Fusion and sold in South America since 2003.

GoAuto understands the unnamed model will also be produced in China, for which Ford Australia is known to also be developing an all-new model, but is it unclear whether this vehicle will be in addition to the ‘EcoSport’.

While the Ford EcoSport is set to be revealed in New Delhi within a month, the Ranger-based SUV is likely to lob at the Bangkok motor show in late March ahead of a late-2012 rollout in Australia, where it will go head to head with the new Thai-made Holden Colorado 7, Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Challenger and Toyota Prado.

Meantime, the new entry-level crossover – codenamed B515 – will give Ford a weapon against the new breed of compact SUVs such as Subaru’s upcoming XV, the Skoda Yeti, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Dualis and Suzuki SX4, as well as the Chinese-made Chery J11.

Set to be built on the global Fiesta platform in Chennai from early 2012, it will also go head to head with an all-new baby SUVs to come from General Motors, which has itself revealed teaser images of a new Buick Encore ‘CUV’, which like a new small SUV to come from Opel is based on the latest Barina/Sonic/Aveo platform.

Several ‘EcoSport’ prototypes have previously been spied around the world including in China, where the new model will make its national debut at the 2012 Beijing motor show in April. Brazil’s version is also expected to be revealed publicly within months.

Ford Australia engineers have become the “go-to guys” within the One Ford global platform sharing strategy after engineering the Thai-built Ranger for more than 160 markets globally and the previous-generation Fiesta-based Figo small car built in India for almost 30 international markets.

The Figo has amassed around 130,000 sales in India, where Ford says it has become the country’s most awarded car ever, since its launch there in March 2010.

Ford said its Delhi concept will be the latest One Ford global product designed to help expand Ford's footprint in the world's fastest-growing vehicle markets, including India. It will be the second of eight models Ford plans to bring to India by 2015.

[2011G6E]

Oh dear...I'd be more excited if they said the Falcon or smaller cars were being built or developed in Oz for international markets...

My reason? History.
Anyone else remember the big car makers (mainly GM) changing production lines to make the popular massive SUV's in the United States back in the late nineties? They lowered production or changed production to make these fuel guzzling behemoths, and then all of a sudden, oil prices skyrocketed and they were left with thousands of acres packed with unsellable monstrosities that a fickle public suddenly decided it didn't want anymore, and they had to spend hundreds of millions changing production back to "normal" cars.

This is hardly the same thing, but when I see makers being excited over producing big SUV's, I merely remember reality and how fickle and rapidly changeable the buying public can be sometimes...it doesn't take much for them to completely turn thier back on a certain type of car, and go on-mass to something else, leaving a manufacturer in the lurch...

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

This is hardly the same thing, but when I see makers being excited over producing big SUV's, I merely remember reality and how fickle and rapidly changeable the buying public can be sometimes...it doesn't take much for them to completely turn thier back on a certain type of car, and go on-mass to something else, leaving a manufacturer in the lurch...

The difference is that these Ford SUVs are not thirsty:

- SZ Territory Diesel has a combined economy of 8.2 l/100 km

- SZ Territory I-6 RWD has a combined economy of 10.6 l/100 km

- Ranger Diesel I-4 has a combined economy of 7.6 l/100 km

- Ranger Diesel I-5 has a combined economy of 9.5 l/100 km

- Kuga I-5 turbo AWD has a combined economy of 10.6 l/100 km

- Ecosport is Fiesta based and will go head to head with Tuscon/ Sportage sized SUVs.

[TMC]

"Ford Australia engineers have become the “go-to guys” within the One Ford global platform sharing strategy after engineering the Thai-built Ranger for more than 160 markets globally and the previous-generation Fiesta-based Figo small car built in India for almost 30 international markets."

Well done Ford Australia!

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by TMC

"Ford Australia engineers have become the “go-to guys” within the One Ford global platform sharing strategy after engineering the Thai-built Ranger for more than 160 markets globally and the previous-generation Fiesta-based Figo small car built in India for almost 30 international markets."

Well done Ford Australia!

It would appear they have become famous for producing something world class from less dollars than other countries, cannot wait to see what they do/did with Mustang. Maybe it might resemble a Falcon with ten times the development budget...... drool.