Thailand - Ford has unveiled its first performance-tuned Ranger Raptor at a world debut in Bangkok.
The automaker made its global debut of the first Ranger Raptor bakkie at a world-class event on Wednesday (February 7 2019).
More exciting is the fact that this bakkie will also be built locally at the Silverton factory in Pretoria.
While the Ranger Raptor has been hugely-anticipated, and is most certainly a striking bakkie, South African motorists could be puzzled by the fact that it's is only available with a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel.
However, the automaker is convinced the smaller engine is the best option for its new bakkie.
Ford announced in September 2017 that its hugely popular Ranger bakkie will be available in an off-road performance variant for the first time. The purpose-built, desert-racing inspired bakkie joins the Ford Performance family, as the new ‘Ranger Raptor ‘
Ford SA says: "The Ranger Raptor will be coming to South Africa, with further information to be revealed in due course. There is no estimated time of arrival as yet.
"Designed and engineered to deliver an adrenaline pumping experience, Ford Ranger Raptor sports a head-turning exterior look that exudes toughness as well as a level of capability and off-road performance never before seen in the mid-size bakkie segment.
"Sharing the same nomenclature as the F-150 Raptor, the world’s most extreme production bakkie, Ranger Raptor is in a class of its own among mid-size off-road performance vehicles."
So what makes the Ranger Raptor distinctive?
In terms of styling, the Raptor features a new, huge grille, bumper, bold wheel arches and fenders with grey accents. Ford says there are new sheet moulding compound (SMC) front fenders which wrap around the 150mm wider stance from the track. It sports 2.3mm thick high-strength steel for underbody protection. At the rear there's a unique box side, redesigned bumper and tow-bar integration along with a functional aluminium die-cast side step. Inside, there are beautiful sculpted eats, upholstery and signature blue stitches in lightning blue. Ford reckons its cabin has been designed for comfort and confidence with the Ford Performance DNA running throughout its styling. The steering wheel has a red stripe on top of the wheel as a centre marker. It also has unique spokes, debossed graphic and magnesium paddle shifters.
Driving modes
The other aspect of the Raptor's speciality is its Terrain Management System (TMS) which has six various modes to choose from to suite any kind of driving surface, including one called Baja mode. Despite the Baja Dessert Race being highly acclaimed internationally, we reckon this could have been better suited as the Dakar mode for local buyers. But then again, that would be stepping on Toyota's toes with its Hilux. Ford reckons: "Each mode has been precisely calibrated to offer the best possible combination of technologies working in unison to tackle the chosen driving style with sangfroid." Each mode can be selected via a dedicated five-button switch located on the steering wheel.On-road modes
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- Normal mode: Emphasising comfort, fuel economy and driveability
- Sport mode: Responsive for spirited on-road driving. This means fast, crisp gear shifts at higher engine speeds to aid throttle response. The mapping reacts to increased demand inputs from the driver by holding gears longer and downshifting more aggressively.
Off-road modes
- Grass/Gravel/Snow mode: Designed to inspire safe and confident driving on off-road slippery and uneven surfaces. This is done through smoother gear shifts and second-gear starts, minimizing the probability of wheel slip.
- Mud/Sand mode: Vehicle responsiveness is tuned for optimum traction and momentum in deep, deformable surfaces like loose sand and mud. This is achieved by maintaining lower gears with high torque.
- Rock mode: Used specifically for low-speed rocky terrain where smooth controllability is key.
- Baja mode: Vehicle responsiveness is tuned for high-speed off-road performance, just like drivers need in the famous Baja Desert Rally. In this mode, vehicle systems like Traction Control are pared back in terms of intervention to allow spirited off-road driving without fighting the vehicle’s on-board systems. Gear selection is optimized for maximum performance, and the mapping will hold gears longer and downshift more aggressively.
He joins our group for the second time around on the 1st of May 2019 - with zest, enthusiasm, focus, strategy and innovation. Mr Van Zyl has a proven track record of his capabilities. He started his career at Wesbank in 1989 and in 1996 started his career as a sales executive. He commenced as sales manager in the CMH Group on April 1st of 2003, through hard-work, dedication and going the extra mile he got recognized and got promoted in February 2007 as the Dealer Principal. On the 1st of June 2016, another Group took over Menlyn Auto from CMH and insisted they keep him as he was an asset to the company. Indeed, they had made the right choice and kept him on as the Dealer Principal to steer the Dealership.
In seeing his outstanding progress CMH then took him back as the new Dealer Principal of CMH Kempster Ford Pretoria as of 1 May 2019.
In his strict customer-orientated mind-set, Werner also truly believes in the concept “attention to detail”, as he is very involved in his various Departments. He is truly hands-on and very approachable – his open-door policy makes all employees feel important, needed and more especially like a family.
Both the New Car Sales department managed by Henry Pearson, as well as the Used Car Sales department managed by Suzette Rossouw, have all the vehicles advertised henceforth making it easy for our customers to come and view as well as test drive the vehicles, making their decision to purchase much easier.
Research shows that the brain cannot handle processing two tasks simultaneously effectively. It can switch between the tasks however your reaction time is diminished while these actions are being performed. Many people think they can do two things at once but it's just not possible to concentrate fully on both simultaneously. Drivers stop monitoring their environment and new drivers in particular aren't in the habit of scanning the road for hazards. Dividing your attention for even a second makes for an even more dangerous combination.
Derek Kirkby, Training Director for Ford's global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme in South Africa, says: "In my experience of training hundreds of drivers, I'd say that even normal, everyday driving uses around 85 per cent of your mental load. Sending one text or selfie, and even talking with a passenger, can overload the brain while driving - increasing the risk of an accident."
"When you're using 85 per cent of your brainpower to drive, your mind isn't capable of doing much else," adds Kirkby. "Regardless of whether you're a professional or new to the road - you will be a safer driver if you understand how much of your brain you're using just to drive the car."
Ford SYNC® Technologies have been integrated in to our entire range of vehicles, from the Ford Figo 1.5Ti VCT Ambiente, to the Ford Mustang 5.0 GT, to the Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi Turbo (Excluding the Ford Ranger 2.2TDCi Single Cab Base).
We at CMH Kempster Ford Randburg value our customers and their families safety.
We want each and every one of our customers to be as safe as possible on the road and the Ford SYNC® Technology brings us one step closer to achieving that goal.
Come in and visit us at Kempster Ford Randburg and see what this awesome Technology can do for you and the safety of your loved ones.
Here at CMH Kempster Ford Pretoria North,we encourage each other to always seek to excel ourselves, we strive to make it a daily obsession to make the most out of our potential.
We’ve put an “Own Personal Best” award system in place where we gave certificates with every individuals’ personal best from the past few months, encouraging them to better themselves to get another award by the end of each month if they improved from the previous month and selecting an employee of the month for each department.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following people:
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, we do appreciate each and every one of you. By combining our passion and teamwork we are definitely turning into an unbeatable winning team hungry for success.