Ford has announced that the upcoming Ranger Raptor will be produced at the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, South Africa.
The new high-performance version of the double-cab bakkie is set to hit the market in 2019, with the Blue Oval promising that it will introduce an “entirely new level of off-road performance and capability” to the segment.
Ford says local assembly of the Ranger Raptor will coincide with the introduction of an updated line-up in 2019, and will come thanks to the investment of an additional R3-billion to expand production capacity.
“The response to our announcement that Ford will be introducing a Ranger Raptor has been absolutely phenomenal, and we’re exceptionally proud to now confirm that this highly anticipated performance model will be assembled in South Africa,” said Casper Kruger, managing director of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.
“This is yet another fantastic achievement for our local team, and signals our ability to produce world-class products of the highest calibre.”
Ockert Berry, vice president of operations, Ford Middle East and Africa, added that the investment would allow the company to “respond to additional future market demands”.
“As part of our strategic planning to accommodate the growing market volumes for the Ranger in South Africa and our export markets, the R3-billion investment will encompass both product and capacity related actions,” said Berry.
“Looking further ahead, the expanded production capacity will ensure that we are geared up and fully prepared to respond to additional future market demands for the Ranger by ramping up our production even further,” Berry added.
“This significant investment reaffirms Ford’s ongoing commitment to South Africa as a local manufacturer, exporter and key employer in the automotive sector, supporting a large number of direct jobs as well as indirect employment through our extensive supplier base.”
Ford says more information on the Ranger Raptor will be revealed “in due course”.
