The Ford Ranger pickup truck is the American brand’s most popular truck not just in Malaysia but in the Asia Pacific region; it’s the best-selling truck in New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia and Myanmar, and the second-best-seller in Australia, Malaysia and Philppines.
The main Ranger production facility for the Asia Pacific markets is AutoAlliancce Thailand (AAT), a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation. And with AAT expected to operate at or near maximum capacity, Ford has invested an additional US$ 186 million to start up the Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) facility to help meet extraordinary demand across the Asia Pacific region.
“The incremental Ranger volume will allow us to meet strong customer demand across the region for this Built Ford Tough truck,” said Mark Kaufman, president, Ford ASEAN. “Our additional investment in FTM also underscores our long-term confidence in Thailand, including the world-class quality being delivered by our workforce.”
Ford is one of the largest automotive investors in Thailand, having invested a total of more than US$ 2.7 billion between its wholly-owned and joint-venture manufacturing facilities, and currently employs about
10,000 people in Thailand.
Hirunya Suchinai, secretary-general, Thailand Board of Investment, said, “On behalf of the Thailand Board of Investment, I would like to congratulate Ford Motor Company on this auspicious occasion. Ford continues to play an important role in the ongoing development of our automotive industry, and their latest milestone will help further strengthen Thailand’s position as a leading automotive manufacturing and export hub in the region.”
The Ford Ranger comes with a class-leading ability to wade through water up to 800 mm deep, and with 230 mm of ground clearance, it is designed and engineered to handle to most extreme terrains with ease. It also boasts a host of cutting-edge technology such as the SYNC in-car connectivity systems which allows for voice commands to control the entertainment system and climate controls, Electronic Stability Program with rollover mitigation and trailer sway control, Hill Launch Assist, Hill Descent Control, Adaptive Load Control, which adjusts the Electronic Stability Control system based on vehicle load and Emergency Brake Assistance, which provides additional pressure to the brake system to increase braking force when drivers apply the brakes quickly in an emergency situation.
Keyword: Ford Thailand Manufacturing To Produce Ranger Pickup