It's been a long-time coming, and the Blue Oval brand has been ramping up the excitement of their long-awaited next-generation Ranger bakkie.
There have been teaser images, camo-clad testing videos, and now finally, Ford has announced when it will reveal its brand-new Ranger in a global debut. That date is just less than a month away, on 24 November.
Could this be the Ranger that will finally overthrow the Toyota Hilux from its throne here in South Africa? If looks have anything to do with it from teaser images, I'd say we're in for the ultimate showdown when it launches locally next year.
The automaker says it has reimagined, redesigned and reengineered the Ranger to be the most innovative, most versatile, and most capable Ranger yet for customers in more than 180 markets worldwide. They conducted more than 5000 interviews and worked with hundreds of bakkie owners in dozens of global workshops to discover how owners used their vehicles, what they liked, what they wished they had, and what experiences mattered the most to them.
WATCH | Ford teases more of its next-gen Ranger with camouflaged bakkie
It's all about the owners this time around, and the automaker used this customer-centric approach to design and engineer solutions that customers want and would appreciate.
According to the automaker, the bakkie has a new "rugged Built Ford Tough look, a host of new features that boost productivity, capability and versatility", and it's designed to go more places, work harder, and offer more comfort and refinement than ever before.
Max Chan, Ranger's chief designer, says: "As designers, we engaged with customers much earlier in the process, spent more time with them and got more insights than ever before.
"Interestingly, we found that no matter what market, our customers are doers. They like solving their own problems, and they like to feel confident in their bakkie, not just the way the vehicle functions but the way they feel when they're driving it."
Wheels24 will feature the livestreaming event when it takes place later in November.
