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Ford Ranger the First Bakkie to Win South Africa Car of the Year Competition

Ford Ranger the First Bakkie to Win South Africa Car of the Year Competition

Date: 2023-06-04

In a ground-breaking achievement, theRanger has become the first bakkie (pick-up) to secure an overall win in theprestigious South African Car of the Year competition. Ford further asserteditself in the awards by taking second place overall with the Everest.

The Ford Ranger's triumph marks ahistoric moment as no other bakkie has ever managed to beat all finalists tothe top spot since the competition began in 1986. Fortuitously, this awardcoincides with Ford South Africa's 100th anniversary locally, during which timeit has established itself as an automotive leader that has shaped andmodernised the local automotive landscape.

In addition to the overall win, the FordRanger, renowned for its toughness, versatility, and capability, stood outamongst its competitors to also win the popular Double Cab category. Thelocally manufactured Ranger, which is also exported to more than 100 marketsaround the world, impressed the judging panel with its cutting-edge technologyand safety features, powerful engines, and unrivalled driving experience.

The Ranger is also unique in that itsproduction takes place at two local manufacturing plants - the engines arebuilt at the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha before being shipped to Ford'sSilverton Vehicle Assembly Plant in Pretoria. The Silverton plant has aproduction capacity of 720 vehicles per day, supporting domestic and export markets.

"With its enduring legacy which began in1986, the South African Car of the Year competition has become a highlyanticipated event in the automotive industry and continues to be an influentialplatform for promoting automotive excellence," says Doreen Mashinini, General Managerfor Marketing at Ford South Africa. "We are incredibly proud to witness the Next-GenRanger make history by clinching the overall victory in this year's Car of theYear competition. This accomplishment underscores Ford's commitment todelivering best-in-class vehicles that not only meet but exceed the needs andexpectations of our valued customers."

Following in the Ranger's tracks, theFord Everest took top honours in the Adventure SUV category, along with second place overall in the competition. By combining exceptional off-roadcapability with practical seven-seater comfort, versatility and advancedfeatures, the Everest is a compelling all-rounder that raises the bar in allareas.

"It is an honour for us to receive these prestigiousawards from the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists," said NealeHill, President, Ford Motor Company Africa. "These awards serve to underline the verypositive attributes that the Next-Gen Ranger and Everest bring to our customerslocally and globally. I want to thank everyone who has contributed towards thedevelopment and launch of these revolutionary models, winning SA's Car of theYear and rewriting history as the only bakkie to have done so is the bestaffirmation of our collective efforts. I would also like to make specialmention of our employees at both our plants locally who go the extra mile dailyto deliver this world class product to our customers," concludes Hill.

Ranger winning Car of the Year follows amajor investment of US$1 billion into the Silverton Vehicle Assembly Plant inPretoria boosting Ford's production capacity, and a R600 million investmentinto the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha resulting in an expanded engineprogram.