T6 SUV to take on Toyota Prado and Fortuner Globally

[jpd80]

Locally developed SUV wagon expected to take on Toyota’s Prado and Fortuner globally

25 April 2011

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS in NEW YORK ....LINK

FORD has ambitions of tackling one of Toyota’s core segments with a new Australian-developed five-door wagon based on the upcoming T6 Ranger one-tonne utility.

 

This vehicle will be a mid-sized body-on-frame SUV that will specifically target Toyota’s HiLux-based Fortuner – which is built and sold in various developing markets – as well as the more sophisticated and familiar LandCruiser Prado.

 

As reported exclusively by GoAuto nine months ago, it will be developed by the growing engineering group at Ford Australia’s Broadmeadows headquarters, where the company recently employed its 1000th engineer.

 

Ford’s global head of product development, Derrick Kuzak, confirmed to GoAuto at the New York motor show that Ford intended to tackle Toyota’s huge share of the “lucrative” market held by Fortuner and Prado in Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.

 

Mr Kuzak said the stranglehold Toyota has with these vehicles in the Asian region especially is an opportunity too good for Ford to ignore.

 

“If you look at the share of the Fortuner and the Prado – certainly in Australia, but also all over the Pacific and into the Middle East – it is really a remarkable kind of share that these two vehicles have … in some markets it is over 25 per cent,” Mr Kuzak told us.

 

“It is a very lucrative market and they own it – at this point.”

 

Expected to be offered in a number of seating, drivetrain and technology specifications according to the markets it is sold in, the new wagon will likely be built mainly in Thailand, with other manufacturing locations also likely.

 

The rugged SUV is expected to follow in the footsteps of the T6 Ranger – which was designed and engineered at Broadmeadows – as one of the most widely marketed Ford vehicles in existence today.

 

It would join a growing number of forthcoming ladder-frame chassis-derived SUVs based on General Motors’ 2012 Colorado, the related Isuzu’s next-generation D-Max and possibly even Volkswagen’s Amarok.

 

In addition to the Toyota twosome, they will battle the Nissan Pathfinder, Ssangyong Rexton, Mitsubishi Challenger and Great Wall V250.

 

Mr Kuzak said the T6 Ranger’s development ‘home room’ in Australia would be expected to deliver further derivations as the need arises globally.

 

“The Australian team do compact pick-ups, and any other vehicles that may come from that platform for the entire globe,” he said.

 

“If you look at our product strategy today, you see, for example, a platform that underpins the (US market large car) Taurus but also a number of other vehicles in the North American market – the Flex (crossover wagon), (Lincoln’s) MKS (sedan) and MKT (crossover) and Explorer (SUV).

 

“So we have demonstrated an ability to take a platform and develop a wide range – from sedans to utilities – off that platform.

 

“At Detroit (auto show in January) we emphasised the Focus platform and we are going to have 10 vehicles coming off that platform over the next two years.

 

“So that ability to upfront have a platform and have a view of what type of top hats may come off that platform, and have that underpinning capability to deliver fully differentiated in terms of their design but also of their functionality, is something that we know how to do.”

 

Melbourne is one of four engineering centres within Ford, the others being in Germany, Britain and the United States.

 

 

:shades:

[ausrutherford]

Hope it goes to Europe to kick some Pathfinder and LC (Prado) butt.

[blksn8k2]

Did I read that correctly, platform sharing? Guess we can't have any of this stuff because the volume will be too low then. Really? Oh and if it is true that “The Australian team do compact pick-ups, and any other vehicles that may come from that platform for the entire globe,” then I guess the F-150 must be considered a midsize truck since the T6 is 90% the size of an F-150, right?. Good grief.

[jasonj80]

Did I read that correctly, platform sharing? Guess we can't have any of this stuff because the volume will be too low then. Really? Oh and if it is true that “The Australian team do compact pick-ups, and any other vehicles that may come from that platform for the entire globe,” then I guess the F-150 must be considered a midsize truck since the T6 is 90% the size of an F-150, right?. Good grief.

 

I don't get where people keep saying the T-6 is 90% of an F-150. I pull up next to T6's all the time in Dearborn and I can tell you they are at best 80% F-150, they are actually a little smaller than a Dakota, and the 2wd short cab actually looks smaller than even a Tacoma. The real problem with the T6 in NA is an Assembly plant to build them - They would do best to build them in Mexico then be able to sell them around South and North America with the trade agreements that are in place. If you moved some Fusion production to KC or Flat Rock then added the T6 to Cuautitlan or Hermosillo (you'd need some body shop work done at Hermosillo, not sure on Cuautitlan) you could sell them in SA/NA duty free in the largest markets.

Edited April 28, 2011 by jasonj80

[Pioneer]

I don't get where people keep saying the T-6 is 90% of an F-150. I pull up next to T6's all the time in Dearborn and I can tell you they are at best 80% F-150, they are actually a little smaller than a Dakota, and the 2wd short cab actually looks smaller than even a Tacoma. The real problem with the T6 in NA is an Assembly plant to build them - They would do best to build them in Mexico then be able to sell them around South and North America with the trade agreements that are in place. If you moved some Fusion production to KC or Flat Rock then added the T6 to Cuautitlan or Hermosillo (you'd need some body shop work done at Hermosillo, not sure on Cuautitlan) you could sell them in SA/NA duty free in the largest markets.

 

 

Ford already builds the Ranger in Argentina for Mexico and South America. It would make more sense to build it at DTP for American and Canadian markets.

Edited April 28, 2011 by Pioneer

[Footballfan]

I don't get where people keep saying the T-6 is 90% of an F-150. I pull up next to T6's all the time in Dearborn and I can tell you they are at best 80% F-150, they are actually a little smaller than a Dakota, and the 2wd short cab actually looks smaller than even a Tacoma. The real problem with the T6 in NA is an Assembly plant to build them - They would do best to build them in Mexico then be able to sell them around South and North America with the trade agreements that are in place. If you moved some Fusion production to KC or Flat Rock then added the T6 to Cuautitlan or Hermosillo (you'd need some body shop work done at Hermosillo, not sure on Cuautitlan) you could sell them in SA/NA duty free in the largest markets.

 

I would not be suprised to see this vehichle built at Lorain if the Transit is built in KC. GM is keeping the Colorado/Canyon, and Dodge is coming out with a new Dakota so it would be foolish for Ford to give up 80K potential sales to the competition.

[jpd80]

I would not be suprised to see this vehichle built at Lorain if the Transit is built in KC. GM is keeping the Colorado/Canyon, and Dodge is coming out with a new Dakota so it would be foolish for Ford to give up 80K potential sales to the competition.

I'd be curious to see what form the next generation F150 takes, could Ford take inspiration from the Transit and build the next F150 with an integral frame?

 

Not suggesting a cab over design like Transit, just the integral frame bit.

 

Provided the frame thickness is fit for the task, an integral frame might significantly reduce weight without using exotic materials while speeding up the frame work construction process...

Edited April 28, 2011 by jpd80

[Fgts]

Oh don't hold your breaths, Ford dont have the balls to offer a truck like this in the U.S. just like the Falcon nor GM's Zeta line-up either. The'll just give us a big "ol cletus" truck (some type of F-150) alternative and give an excuse of why the T-6 or T-6 SUV can't sale in the U.S.. Get ready for the SVT F-150 Thunda Down-Unda package because that what will show up first before any T-6 would here.

[V8-X]

This only makes me wish Ford would bring the T6 and it's SUV sibling to the states now. At least I could accept that SUV as a proper replacement for the market the Explorer left when it went the boulevard cruiser/street queen route.

 

I'm so dang interested in those two products, but am afraid we'll never see such vehicles from Ford around these parts again. Well, other than the Raptor that is.

[blksn8k2]

This only makes me wish Ford would bring the T6 and it's SUV sibling to the states now. At least I could accept that SUV as a proper replacement for the market the Explorer left when it went the boulevard cruiser/street queen route.

 

I'm so dang interested in those two products, but am afraid we'll never see such vehicles from Ford around these parts again. Well, other than the Raptor that is.

 

According to Ford, or at least Mr Kuzak, you do not need such capable vehicles so stop your pathetic whining.

 

You know I'm just kidding but I thought I would say it before the bobblehead brigade did. :shades:

[bzcat]

This only makes me wish Ford would bring the T6 and it's SUV sibling to the states now. At least I could accept that SUV as a proper replacement for the market the Explorer left when it went the boulevard cruiser/street queen route.

 

I'm so dang interested in those two products, but am afraid we'll never see such vehicles from Ford around these parts again. Well, other than the Raptor that is.

 

I'm sure the SUV will make it to the US as it is not subject to Chicken Tax. Whether or not US consumers will embrace a SUV made in Thailand remains to be seen but there is no protectionist tax burden (ironically imposed originally to protect Ford from VW) to worry about as is the case with Ranger. Ford probably will not have any problem finding 30~40,000 buyers for a true midsize 4x4 SUV.

[V8-X]

According to Ford, or at least Mr Kuzak, you do not need such capable vehicles so stop your pathetic whining.

 

You know I'm just kidding but I thought I would say it before the bobblehead brigade did. :shades:

Seems like we know this board too well.

[jpd80]

I'm sure the SUV will make it to the US as it is not subject to Chicken Tax. Whether or not US consumers will embrace a SUV made in Thailand remains to be seen but there is no protectionist tax burden (ironically imposed originally to protect Ford from VW) to worry about as is the case with Ranger. Ford probably will not have any problem finding 30~40,000 buyers for a true midsize 4x4 SUV.

Who knows, maybe higher gas prices change buyer preferences in ways not expected by Ford,

at least then they still have mid sized 4x4 product that can fill the needs of buyers.

 

I'd really like to know what happens a few years on when North American rationalization of platforms is complete,

does Ford then look at all the niche market areas and see if global products can be imported to fill the gaps?

I sure hope so....

[GTwannabe]

Ha... watch how fast Ford rushes to bring T6 SUV production stateside to fill that gaping hole in their SUV lineup somewhere between the Transit Connect, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Flex, Epedition, and C-Max!

[sullynd]

I still think this could end up as the Expedition. (I know, it's smaller and narrower).

[BORG]

The F-150 is the best pickup truck in the world, why are people griping about not having this less capable and slightly smaller truck? I think people are more in love with keeping the Ranger lineage alive than buying the actual truck. Just because you can't have it doesn't meant it's better.

[Noah Harbinger]

The F-150 is the best pickup truck in the world, why are people griping about not having this less capable and slightly smaller truck? I think people are more in love with keeping the Ranger lineage alive than buying the actual truck. Just because you can't have it doesn't meant it's better.

 

I think it's just the competitive spirit, aka "There's no segment that Ford shouldn't enter - and win!"

[jpd80]

Ford has said there will be no new Ranger, to suggest that they will suddenly reverse that decision is wishful thinking.

I would expect that Ford thinks it can cover most of the mid/large truck market under the next F150 product envelope,

perhaps it is wiser to see what they have in mind for F150 in the future than continually spout off about no Ranger.

I have a feeling that Ford is prepared to massage the design of their most popular truck to increase sales even further..

[GTwannabe]

The F-150 is the best pickup truck in the world, why are people griping about not having this less capable and slightly smaller truck? I think people are more in love with keeping the Ranger lineage alive than buying the actual truck. Just because you can't have it doesn't meant it's better.

 

Because an F-150 that meets my needs (seats 4 adults, 4WD, at least 20mpg) costs ~38k. I don't need any more payload/towing capability than a mid-size, and I'm certainly not spending an extra 13k just to have a "better truck." My B3000 has 13 years and 170k miles on it; it may not last until 3 year old Ecoboost F-150's start showing up on the used lots.

[blksn8k2]

The F-150 is the best pickup truck in the world, why are people griping about not having this less capable and slightly smaller truck? I think people are more in love with keeping the Ranger lineage alive than buying the actual truck. Just because you can't have it doesn't meant it's better.

 

Contrary to the corporate line there are still people in this country who don't need or want a truck the size of the current F-150. Completely abandoning that market by first discontinuing both the Sport Trac and the Ranger and then announcing that the T6 Ranger will not be sold here seems like a very bad idea, especially to those of us who are loyal Ford customers and who do not need or want the only other Ford trucks that are left for us to choose from and considering where gas prices seem to be headed. I don't really care what they call it. Just give us a more reasonalbe choice.

 

Oh, and it all depends what you consider "less capable". From the articles I have read and the videos that have been posted showing the capabilities of the T6 Ranger it appears to me that truck would hand a non-Raptor F-150 its ass in any off-road situation.

Edited May 11, 2011 by blksn8k2

[bzcat]

I still think this could end up as the Expedition. (I know, it's smaller and narrower).

 

No reason to think Ford would go down that road when F150 platform is ready made for Expedition.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that T6 SUV will be sold in the US but I don't think it will replace the Expedition either. There is room for both.

[NLPRacing]

A T6 based Bronco would be nice...

[bzcat]

A T6 based Bronco would be nice...

 

Exactly... but has to have 4 doors to avoid chicken tax

 

But perhaps something like Toyota FJ Cruiser... 2 tiny suicide doors. That's how it avoids the chicken tax. :shades:

[jpd80]

No reason to think Ford would go down that road when F150 platform is ready made for Expedition.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that T6 SUV will be sold in the US but I don't think it will replace the Expedition either. There is room for both.

T6 SUV will be around the same size as the '02-'06 Explorer.

[blksn8k2]

That's right, just what we need, another flipping SUV to go along with the 500 we have to choose from now. In the mean time we get one size truck: HUGE.