The first T6.2 generation Ford Ranger assembled in South Africa.
With the last of 873 751 units of the T6 Ford Ranger rolled out at the Silverton Plant outside Pretoria last week, the Blue Oval’s eagerly awaited new iteration, the T6.2, officially entered production at said facility.
The result of a record R15.8-billion investment last year, the new Ranger, apart from being marketed in South Africa, will be exported to around 100 countries in Latin America and Europe among others.
As it’s known by now, the Silverton facility will not only be entrusted with the Ranger, but, exclusively, its new twin, the Volkswagen Amarok, now that the Everest and Ranger Raptor originate from Thailand.
In addition to Silverton, production of the single-and-bi-turbo 2.0-litre Panther engines, as well as the new 3.0-litre Lion V6, will also take place on local soil at the Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, after a further investment of R600-million in December last year.
“The start of Next-Gen Ranger production in South Africa highlights our commitment to delivering must-have products for our customers, not just in South Africa but around the world,” Ford’s President for International Markets, Dianne Craig, said.
“South Africa is an important part of our global Ranger manufacturing network, and it is fantastic to witness the US$1.05-billion investment being utilised to modernise and transform the Silverton Assembly Plant to produce vehicles of the absolute best quality for customers around the world.”
Besides the securing of production, the investment has bolstered job creation by 1 200 and 10 000 across the various supply chain channels. According to Dearborn, its total workforce in South Africa now stands at 5 500 employees.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Final outgoing generation Ford Ranger departs Silverton
Of the mentioned R15.8 billion, R10.3 billion had been spent on the upgrading of Silverton with the biggest addition being a new fully automated paint shop and on-site stamping plant.
“We took several strategic decisions including the decision to bring the stamping operations and the frame manufacturing in-house, to ensure complete control of the production quality,” Ford International Markets Director for Operations, Andrea Cavallaro, said.
“The process put in today guarantees that the components going onto the assembly line for every Next-Gen Ranger are of the highest quality.
“To meet our volume and quality objectives, we have the world’s only Ford-owned and operated chassis manufacturing plant at the Silverton plant that uses the most advanced technologies currently available”.
The automaker stated that quality and owner satisfaction remain key aspects as it did with the T6 generation, as evident by Silverton featuring a raft of new scanners and monitoring systems aimed at ensuring no faults sneak through into the final production model.
“These latest-generation measurement and scanning systems give us real-time data throughout production, ensuring we can quickly identify and address any quality concerns before the part leaves its production area,” Ford South Africa Vice-President of Operations, Ockert Berry, remarked.
“This data is stored in our global quality management system, allowing us to monitor trends and respond proactively to any potential issues.
“The uncompromising approach to quality has reshaped every aspect of our manufacturing operations and reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class products for our customers around the world.”
As already mentioned, the new Ranger is expected to debut officially next month with price and specification details to be announced then.