Ahead of its formal introduction later this year, Ford Australia continues to put the next-gen 2023 Ranger through its paces. In a video put out by Ford themselves, they show the camouflaged pickup conquering all sorts of terrain.
The video, which is the latest addition to their #NextGenRanger series detailing the pickup’s development, shows everything from hill climbing and descent to water fording, as well as the truck sliding around on a variety of loose surfaces.
More specifically, the truck’s development includes things like cold-weather testing of engine performance and vehicle dynamics in North America and New Zealand, and conversely hot weather testing of the same factors in the 50+°C (122+°F) deserts of North America, Australia, and the Middle East. And on the topic of that desert driving, around 10,000 km (6,214 mi) has been covered in the new Ranger, which Ford says equates to 1,250,000 km (776,714 mi) of normal driving and 625,000 km (388,357 mi) of “rugged off-road durability testing” at the pickup’s maximum load capacity.
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In addition to the real-world testing, Ford also conducts multiple different quality evaluations using the simulated conditions at their proving grounds. Things such as durability, high-speed performance, NVH, and emissions are all tested and evaluated at the site either through physical means, computer simulations, or both. An example of this is Ford’s purpose-built “squeak and rattle” rig, which uses computer simulations and robotics to perpetually shake the truck around at all hours of the day, a task that would otherwise be too punishing for a human body to endure.
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“Earning a Built Ford Tough status is not something we take lightly,” said John Willems, Ford Ranger Chief Program Engineer. “Every part of the next-generation Ranger was tested to the same standards that we demand of every Ford vehicle.”
“It’s important that our customers are able to rely on Ranger to deliver years of dependable service,” said Willems. “So we’ve gone to great lengths to subject next-gen Ranger to extreme tests – stressing it much more than a typical consumer would – to help ensure it is ready to face everything life throws at it.
The new Ford Ranger is expected to be revealed later this year, with a market launch to follow in 2022.
