Ford says the next-generation Ranger will have the upper-hand over the VW Amarok with which it will share its underpinnings.
As part of a product and technology agreement between Ford and Volkswagen, the new Ranger and Amarok will share the same T7 architecture. Ford will build and engineer both vehicle,s but despite this, it is the Ranger that will have an advantage, at least according to Ford Australia president Andrew Birkic.
“We have a luxury, we have an advantage, we have a head start over them [Volkswagen],” Birkic told Car Sales during a recent interview. “We have a really strong history and we have a really strong global play with Ranger. So I think for us it is how do we keep improving and raising the bar, whereas for them I think it’s a different play.”
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While Ford is keeping details about the new Ranger close to its chest, Birkic added that Ford has adopted a “philosophy around continuous improvement” for its pickup truck.
“What I can share with you is the philosophy around continuous improvement. If you are going to be a successful player in 180 countries – and also be true to the core DNA of Ranger – then you have to push. The bar is set high, the expectations are set high,” he said.
In June, Volkswagen admitted that had it not been for the partnership with Ford, the Amarok would not have survived to a second generation.
“Ultimately it is our customers who will benefit, as without the cooperation we would not have developed a new Amarok,” chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Thomas Sedran, said.
It is not just the new Ranger and Amarok that will share parts. As part of the partnership between the companies, VW will also develop a new van for Ford based on the Volkswagen Caddy, while Ford will make a “highly differentiated” electric vehicle based on VW’s MEB platform.
