Ford Australia’s decision to offer up two utes for local customers in the form of the full-sized F-150 and smaller Ranger might seem strange, but the brand believes there is plenty of room for both on showrooms floors.
Speaking to media at the F-150 confirmation event, Ford Australia global trucks enterprise manager Natalie Manariti said the brand’s studies have shown there is not much overlap in F-150 and Ranger buyers.
“Research told us that there is space for both,” she said.
“That customer that’s looking for that full-size pick-up truck is really looking for the ultimate recreation tool.
“They’ve got big toys that they want to tow – today could be the 20-foot trailer, tomorrow could be the cabin cruiser with the quad bikes – so they’re really looking for that unrestricted capability to do whatever they need on any day that they choose.
“For a mid-size pick-up customer, it’s very much a dual-purpose car, it’s about work and play. Whereas when you are looking at a full-size pick-up truck, that customer is looking for the biggest, the boldest, the most capable truck because they want that unrestricted capability.”
The F-150 is due in Australian showrooms from mid-2023, and will come exclusively with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost petrol V6 engine, which produces 298kW/678Nm.
With drive sent to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission, the F-150 is rated to tow up to 4500kg.
The new-generation Ranger meanwhile, is booked in for a mid-year launch, packing three diesel engine options and a new petrol V6 for the top-dog Raptor.
The most prolific engine across the new Ranger line-up is a 2.0-litre twin-turbo-diesel four-cylinder, which produces 154kW/500Nm, and all diesel-powered models are rated to tow 3500kg.
The Ranger also sports a payload limit of up to 1328kg and a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of up to 3350kg, though exact specifications for the Aussie-spec F-150 are yet to be confirmed.
Also differentiating the two models will be size, with the F-150 measuring 5885mm long, 2029mm wide, 1961mm tall and with a 3683mm wheelbase.
The 2022’s Ranger’s dimensions have not been revealed, but should remain close to the current car’s 5446mm length, 1977mm width, 1848mm height and 3220mm wheelbase measurements.
Ford Australia Andrew Birkic said the two “vehicles will complement each other in the showroom”, and that the F-150 will appeal more to private buyers than the traditionally fleet and business customers of the Ranger.
“We believe there’s definitely room for both, we see it in the segment there today,” he said. “We’re very confident with Ranger, we know who the customer is – we’ve got a broad base with a lot of fleet, government, private, small business – so we understand that.
“We think the vehicles will really complement each other and we’re confident in our aspirations and our volumes.
“There are certainly some unique customer applications as well, so we believe we’ll be able to tap into that.
“There may be some fleet applications [for F-150], but certainly what we see from other competitors, there’s a very strong private, small business bias … a lot of recreation usage in this space as well.”
Pricing for neither the new Ranger or F-150 have been confirmed, but the latter is expected to wear a $100,000-plus pricetag as it is imported and then locally remanufactured in right-hand drive for Australian market consumption.
Keyword: Is there room in Ford showrooms for two utes? How the Ranger and F-150 differ, and how each model appeals to different buyers