The Ford Ranger has a go-anywhere capability while also being just as practical for daily transport around the city. Owners of the popular ‘Built Ford Tough’ pick-up truck have been able to create their own adventures and explore many areas of our country with their friends and family.
This May, the Ford Ranger Getaways organised by SDAC-Ford have the mountains as destinations for weekend adventures. There are two events to choose from – A Trip Through Nature at Gunung Jerai on May 6, and Chase the Sunrise in Cameron Highlands on May 27/28. The latter event will be the first overnight trip in this year’s Ford Ranger Getaways series.
Sitting right above the Wildtrak but below the Raptor, the 2023 Ford Ranger Stormtrak was unveiled at the Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) and it looks magnificent.
A new generation of the Ford Ranger will be launched in Malaysia soon, and given what we know about the new model from the global debut, it’s destined to continue the success story of its predecessors. But it’s not just the Ranger that is a successful truck model for Ford; in fact, Ford trucks have been dominant in the company’s sales for decades – and the bestselling vehicle in the USA.
Over 100 years of truck experience
Ford knows how to build great trucks because it has a history of making them for more than 100 years. Throughout its history, Ford has continuously improved its trucks with new innovations that improve their ability to get the job done. The cumulative experience means that today’s trucks like the Ranger have superior performance and are more durable and reliable than ever.
1917 Model TT – the first Ford truck.
The first Ford truck was created just 9 years after the first Model T began putting the world on wheels. Henry Ford received requests from customers asking for a vehicle that could carry heavier loads and provide greater utility for the work and deliveries which had been done by horse-carriages.
On July 27, 1917, Ford introduced the Model TT and it was able to bring out this new model so fast because it retained the Model T cab and engine. It was an approach that would be used till today where platforms, including powertrains, are shared among models, with the bodywork being different. The Model TT came with a heavier-duty frame capable of carrying one ton of payload.
First F-Series introduced in 1948
The formula for success
Similar to the Fordson tractor introduced in the same year, Ford envisioned a chassis that could accommodate beds and cargo areas that were made by other parties (like today’s commercial vehicle body-builders). By enabling such flexibility to customise the basic design, there would be increased functionality to get work done.
It was a formula for success. By 1928, Ford had sold 1.3 million Model TTs before replacing the truck with the more capable Model AA with a 1.5-ton chassis. Ford marketed its early trucks largely in rural areas, according to Bob Kreipke, a Ford historian. “Model AA trucks in particular had a certain class to them,” he said. “Customers could use them on the farm, yet still take them to church on Sunday.”
1935 Model 50 with Ford flathead V8.
Like the Model TT, the Model AA was available exclusively as a chassis cab offered in two lengths, with new powertrain and axle options for greater capacity. To stay ahead in what had become a hotly competitive business, Ford replaced the Model AA with the even more capable Model BB in 1933. Many were outfitted as mail and freight vehicles, as well as ambulances and other types of commercial vehicles. Two years later, Ford introduced the 1935 Model 50 pick-up truck , powered exclusively by its famous Ford Flathead V8 engine.
1953 Ford F-100
Making trucks more innovative
By 1941, Ford had sold more than 4 million trucks. Changing over to war production resulted in the loss of consumer sales but a gain in experience building heavy-duty military truck chassis and 4-wheel-drive personnel carriers. A year after consumer production resumed in 1947, Ford drew on that knowledge to provide even more innovations for its customers.
“After the war, a lot of rural Americans moved to urban and suburban centres looking for work, and many took their Ford pick-ups with them,” said Kreipke. “Ford saw this as an opportunity, and began work on the next generation of trucks for 1948 – which came to be known as F-Series Bonus Built trucks.”
Ford truck advertisement in 1965
After a successful run with the first generation F-Series, the second generation arrived in 1953 with increased engine power and capacity. The model line was also rebranded, with the F-1 becoming the F-100, while F-2 and F-3 trucks were integrated into the new F-250 line. Meanwhile, the F-4 became F-350 and the larger Class 8 trucks were spun off into a new C-Series commercial truck unit.
Ford trucks became dual-purpose vehicles – for work on weekdays and for family getaways on weekends.
Changing the truck role
Throughout this period, Ford trucks started looking less utilitarian, sporting features like 2-tone paint, automatic transmissions, and improved heater and radio offerings. New standard features debuted with the 1953 F-100, including armrests, dome lights and sun visors. Lower and with a wider cab, the new truck featured integrated front fenders and a more aerodynamic design.
45 years later, in the ASEAN region, the same thing would happen as Ford introduced the Ranger as its idea of the ‘Asian Car’. It came with a stylish look that was rugged, and had the features and convenience of a passenger car. In Malaysia, the timing was just right as local regulations had changed to permit use of trucks as private vehicles rather than only for commercial use.
First generation of the Ranger built and introduced in ASEAN in the 1990s.
Built Ford Tough
In 1961 – 44 years after the Model TT – Ford introduced its fourth-generation F-Series. It continued to have innovations that kept it a market leader, eg the revolutionary twin I-beam front suspension which debuted in 1965. An upscale Ranger package appeared in 1967 and advertisements emphasized improved comfort, value and durability, as Ford trucks now offered power steering and brakes, and a lower chassis profile.
Built Ford Tough
By 1977, the F-Series trucks were clear market leaders and sometime that year, a copywriter for a Ford truck magazine is said to have written three simple words that would come to define the brand: Built Ford Tough. It is more than a slogan – it’s a brand promise to owners and the mantra for Ford’s entire truck team.
Developing truck culture
In the years that followed, truck culture became very much part of American life. Trucks had become universal family vehicles; in addition to being only work trucks during the week, people also used them for weekend getaways. Ford trucks thus made American lifestyle more active and in 2022, the same thing is happening in Malaysia with Sime Darby Auto ConneXion’s ‘Ford Ranger Getaways’.
While the F-Series has been dominant in North America, Ford has also used its truck expertise with the Ranger in other parts of the world. Versatile and efficient, the Ranger has built a reputation for being tough and capable, leading it to thrive in diverse markets around the world.
Raptor – the performance truck
And while performance for a truck usually refers to the loads it can carry, Ford also added a new dimension to truck performance in the way that enthusiasts understand it. With the assistance of Ford Performance, the company’s high-performance division, the Raptor was created to enter the specialty truck segment. Inspired by desert racing and designed specifically to meet the needs of off-road truck enthusiasts, the Raptor was the first off-road trophy truck from a major manufacturer.
Developed by Ford Performance, the F-150 Raptor set the bar high for off-road performance. The same formula was applied to the Ranger to also create a Raptor variant that has become the ultimate truck, with no rivals.
To know more about Ford trucks available in Malaysia, especially the next-generation Ranger coming soon, visit www.sdacford.com.my. If you sign up here, you can get an exclusive invitation to a debut event at a city near you as well as receive regular updates to keep you informed.
In September 2017, Nissan organised a project to enable researchers to visit Brazil’s historic archaeology sites. Known as the “Nissan Expedition: In search of Brazil’s beginnings”, its objective was to contribute to culture and scientific research by exploring the wealth of Brazil’s historic rock paintings.
The expedition was done in 5 stages and the researchers got close looks at items found in exploring the country’s rock art sites. They also came across remains of campfires of people who lived in the Piauí sierra region 50,000 years ago.
The first Nissan Expedition which ‘went back in time’.
Discovering Brazil’s heritage
The second edition of this activity took place this year, with explorers following Brazil’s Heritage Trail. It is thus known as the ‘Nissan Expedition – Following Brazil’s Heritage Trail’ and recently concluded at Chapada dos Veadeiros, the highest plain in Central Brazil, in the state of Goias.
For 3 days, the participants in a fleet of 16 Nissan Frontiers faced trails in the region known as Cerrado, a vast tropical savannah ecoregion in Brazil. Along the way, they explored a stunning landscape listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site while driving more than 1,000 kms in the state of Goiás and the Federal District.
The expedition started in the city of Brasília, which is considered the world’s largest world heritage site (112.25 square kilometres) and is widely known for its modernist architecture and uniquely artistic urban planning. The adventurers also visited key historic and cultural sites, such as 308 Sul, the first superquadra (superblock) built following the Plano Piloto (the originally planned city) as well as the President JK Bridge and the Ministries Esplanade.
Visiting Brasilia, the planned capital city
The expeditioners also visited the Live Museum of Candanga Memory, which tells the story of the construction of Brasilia (named after the nickname given to the workmen who built the city) and Catetinho Museum, the first official workplace of the President of Brazil Juscelino Kubitschek, whose name is a reference to Catete, Brazil’s presidential palace before Brasília was built.
On the second day, the group learnt about the initiatives to protect the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park and the region’s importance to the environment. They then toured the park with its outstanding scenic beauty and went around the region known as Almecegas.
At this location is an aerial attraction: the Flight of the Hawk – an 850-metre long, 100-metre high zip line that stretches across the Almecegas Range and the Sao Bento Plantation Belvedere. By the end of the day, they were at Almecegas, one of the park’s tallest waterfalls and known for its high quartzite walls.
Nissan Frontier put to the test
On the third day of the expedition, the group had an off-roading experience through the Cerrado region. Here, the toughness of the Frontier pick-up was put to the test. Needless to say, it passed with flying colours, demonstrating its robustness and capabilities.
After the off-roading experience at the Bellatrix reserve, the group headed for the Label waterfall, before facing more rough terrain and crossing some streams. Although swollen with the summer rains, the unbridged waters were crossed by the Frontiers that can cope with deep waters. The final stop was reached after climbing 1,200 metres to reach the Sao Joao d’Aliança range and see the expanse of the Cerrado region in Goias.
Visit www.nissan.com.my to know more about Nissan pick-up trucks in Malaysia
Trucks. 4x4s. Pick-up Trucks. Call them what you will, but a couple of decades ago they didn’t exist… well not on the highways anyway. Since Mercedes-Benz likes to call itself “the inventor of the automobile” I guess it’s only apt to call Ford Malaysia “the inventor of the lifestyle pick-up truck”… no, really.
You see, not so very long ago in the early 90s, Ford Malaysia‘s (then known as AMIM Ford) passenger car sales were suffering, with only the outdated Laser and Telstar being sold, and I use that word ‘sold’ very loosely. So what did they do? In a masterstroke of genius, because their cars weren’t selling very well in their given segments, AMIM Ford decided to create a whole new market segment. And ‘lo and behold, the ‘lifestyle’ pick-up truck was born.
I owned the very first of those trucks, it was called the Ford Courier. It was a naturally-aspirated 2.5L diesel, and if memory serves, the model survived one update (Courier Splash – yellow) and was replaced by the turbocharged Ranger, which henceforth became one of the market leaders in the lifestyle pick-up truck segment, despite just about every other carmaker jumping on the truck-bandwagon, or rather cargo-bed, and introducing their own trucks.
The Ford Ranger 4×4 has evolved over the years, and while still staying true to its “Built Ford Tough” credo, it’s also become – for better or worse (see video below) – a lot more ‘liveable’ and domesticated. It’s like capturing a wild animal and eventually taming it enough to become a house pet. Never forget though, that behind that docile exterior, an untamed beast still lurks…
One of those beasts of course is the new Ford Ranger Raptor, which you can read more about and see videos of here, as well as one of the 4 new Rangers that were recently launched, this Ranger XLT Limited+. Boasting a first-in-class 10-speed automatic transmission, yes, TEN speeds, the new Ranger XLT+ is powered by a new 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine that churns out 213Ps and whopping 500Nm of torque.
It also has an array of other FIC attributes including AEB or Autonomous Emergency Braking & Front Collision Alert, Lane-Departure Warning, Semi-Automatic Parallel Parking, Adaptive Cruise Control and an Easy-Lift Tailgate. Anyone who’s ever owned a truck will know just how heavy that rear tailgate (above) is.
The new Rangers, finally with hydraulic bonnet struts (above), have definitely moved the goalposts insofar as the lifestyle pick-up truck market is concerned, not only are they still very much “Built Ford Tough” but they now also offer an incredible level of refinement unheard of in Rangers of yore.
Want to know more about the new Ford Rangers? Click this link.
Ford Ranger Limited XLT+ 4×4 Photo Gallery…
BONUS! Why I love the older Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak…
“No replacement for displacement”… we’ve often heard this adage, but does it apply to trucks? Here’s an older model with 3,200cc of brute force, and here’s what I think of it!
Yes, 2019 is indeed shaping up to be a stellar year for Truck and SUV fans across the nation, and here’s just a taste of what’s to come!
LAND ROVER
Thanks to AutoExpress, we’re getting a first glimpse of the all-new 2019 Land Rover Defender. So who said the LR Defender was dead eh? You just can’t kill a Defender….
“The all-new Land Rover Defender will be revealed within the next 12 months, likely to be towards the end of 2019, and new official images have given us our best look yet at the iconic SUV in development. The latest image shows a prototype of the all-new Defender under going off-road testing in North America as part of its grueling test cycle. The vehicle will be subjected to temperatures as low as -40 Celsius and as high as 48 Celsius and at attitudes as high as 13,000ft.” – Auto Express.
FORD
As we all know, late last year, Ford Malaysia finally launched the much-awaited Ranger Raptor, (<–link) but in addition to that, they also introduced new variants of the Ranger 4×4 in the form of the XL, XLT, XLT+ (below)and Wildtrak. In total there are 9 variants of the new Ranger, including the aforementioned Raptor.
Here’s a short walkabout video of the Ford Ranger XLT+
PROTON
Right. So this SUV is likely the MOST anticipated of the lot. Having subjected us to one of the longest ever “long-lead” ups to its launch, which happened only last month, Proton’s X70 SUV (<–link) has finally hit the road. We’ve already seen a few out there, all CBU of course, with local-assembly only set to begin in October 2019. With more than 12,000 bookings taken before launch and once the order-books were opened, we await word on the official media drive later this month, in the meantime, here’s a walkaround video:
TOYOTA
What a Rush. Sorry, just had to with a name like that. Yes, the new Toyota Rush (<–link) was introduced recently too, and we even managed to get a short test drive in! Set to be officially launched very soon, the price estimate is apparently below RM100k… we’re guessing circa RM92,000 or so. Here’s a quick walkaround video:
MITSUBISHI
All hail the new Triton! Shown at KLIMS 2018, (<—link) this truck is likely the only contender to the Ranger Raptor in terms of ‘wow’ factor. There’s still no word on when it’s going to arrive here, but it’s a stunner! Completely unexpected, it was getting a lot of attention at the show, here’s a video featuring the truck:
PERODUA
So technically it’s still very hush-hush for now, but there’s definitely a new Perodua SUV on the way. Perodua isn’t new to SUVs, having introduced the Kembara many years back, and the short-lived Nautica later on. Largely based on the Daihatsu Terios (above) and Toyota Rush, it’s almost a given that Perodua will have some design input in the finished product, scheduled to be launched in Q1 this year. Here’s a video on the Terios…
ISUZU
And now a surprise. In October 2019, Isuzu Malaysia will bring in the new MU-X 7-seater SUV! We have no solid details about it at the moment, except to say that in typical MU-X fashion, it is huge. Here’s a walkaround video:
Photo Gallery (Land Rover Defender images courtesy of AutoExpress.co.uk)
