Ford Oz set to develop new SUV

[vztrt]

.....from the Ranger

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577700025F4DF

Top US engineer heads to Australia to head up new Ford SUV project

30 July 2010

By RON HAMMERTON

FORD is set to develop a new sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Australia for international markets.

Fresh from leading the design and engineering of Ford’s next-generation Ranger light truck – code-named T6 – Ford Australia has been tasked with spinning off a new off-roader from the Ranger platform, aimed at the Asia Pacific region.

GoAuto understands the project will be headed by Ford Motor Company vehicle engineering manager and SUV specialist Todd Hoevener, who has just signed off on the all-new Ford Explorer launched this week in the United States.

Mr Hoevener, an American born in Indiana, has confirmed he is coming to Australia for the new project, adding: “This is going to be fun.”

Details of the vehicle, its projected launch date and production location remain secret, but Mr Hoevener’s seniority and extensive experience in midsize and large SUVs point to a major SUV under Ford’s One Ford global vehicle program.

Ford Australia communications manager Sinead McAlary declined to comment specifically on the SUV project, saying only that Ford Australia had always said it would produce more than one model off the T6 platform.

GoAuto understands that the massive engineering team that has been working on the Ranger ute in Victoria is now ready to swing on to the SUV variant that, like the ute, is unlikely to be built locally.

The Ranger ute is in its final testing phase before being rolled out internationally from 2011 to multiple markets around the world, including Australia and the United States.

Here, the T6 will replace the Thai-made Mazda B-Series-based one-tonner that received an update last year. The new model, which has occupied 450 local engineers and designers in a $700 million development project in Victoria, will go into production in Thailand, South Africa and the United States in dual-cab and king cab variants.

The new SUV – built on the rugged T6 ladder-chassis platform – will be pitched directly at rivals such as Nissan’s Navara-based Pathfinder and Mitsubishi’s Triton-derived Challenger.

The vehicle is unlikely to replace the Falcon-based Territory, but might make it into Australia as an import from Thailand.

Mr Hoevener, the chief technical officer overseeing the Explorer project, would have extensive knowledge of Ford’s new fuel-efficient EcoBoost engine technology that has just been applied to the new Explorer in the same 176kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder form that will appear in both Ford’s Australian Falcon and Aussie-designed T6 Ranger next year.

Ford has already ruled out the EcoBoost engine for the current-generation Territory. Instead, it is planning to graft its European 2.7-litre diesel – formerly used in Land Rover, Jaguar and PSA Peugeot-Citroen vehicles – into the Territory next year when the Falcon-based SUV gets its first major makeover since it was launched in March 2004.

Ultimately, Ford Australia will be faced with the challenge of replacing Territory, which, like the Falcon, is expected to lose its locally derived rear-drive format under Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s One Ford model strategy that requires the company to develop global models and shed small regional-interest vehicles that deliver less reward to the bottom line.

Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela has not ruled out a switch to a front-drive model – presumably based on the Taurus - in the next generation beyond 2016.

Without a rear-drive Falcon, Ford Australia would then be faced with killing the rear-drive Territory or finding a replacement on a One Ford platform, such as the US-developed Taurus – which would fit with a front-drive Falcon for local production purposes at Broadmeadows – or some other alternative.

As Ford’s big new Explorer is already built on the Taurus platform in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive, Ford Australia might be able to modify that, perhaps scaling back the dimensions and restyling it to sit below Explorer, which is essentially aimed at North American consumers.

And, conveniently, Ford Australia would have the Ford Explorer engineering chief, Mr Hoevener, already on hand.

Another possibility is a mid-sized SUV built on the European Mondeo architecture, delivering a direct competitor for General Motor’s successful Captiva and Toyota’s Kluger.

This would be unlikely to go into Australian production, but neither is the T6 Ranger that was designed at Ford Australia’s tech centre.

Although Ford Australia could sorely use a new compact SUV, Ford of Europe already has that base covered with the Kuga, using the company’s C1 small-car platform that also has spawned the global Focus and C-Max crossover.

[Dr Smith]

Great news and recognition for the engies at FoMoCo Oz! Hopefully this can be made into an official Ford Oz press release considering the project head Mr Hoevener has confirmed it, lol.

[JPFS1]

mmmm...

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...2&postcount=45

[pottery beige]

any aussie input is good input...

[R-Design]

That's big news, can't wait to see the T6 in all it's glory. It's great to see Aussie engineering talent on the world stage. Let's hope these models are successful enough to get Ford AU the gig for the Falcon/Taurus replacement.

[Ghiadude]

Originally Posted by JPFS1

mmmm...

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...2&postcount=45

bit of I told you so? well deserved I must say ... so anything else on the horizon??

[JPFS1]

yeah it's nice to get it right every now and then...

[XR Martin]

Not unexpected as there has been wagon variants of the Courier and current Ranger. Good news though.

[Road_Warrior]

Great news for FoA and great news for R&D in Australia.

Logical considering the current Ford Everest is based on the current Ranger/BT50 platform which will be discontinued when the T6 is released. So the Everest will need a new lease on life.

A pity, though, that this new SUV won't be C or C/D based, because then they could manufacture 2 or 3 different vehicles off the one platform here in Australia.

Also, from Wiki:

A third generation Everest is expected in 2011 or 2012, together with or soon after the launch of the next generation ASEAN Ranger currently under development in Australia. Both vehicles will continue to be produced in Thailand.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by JPFS1

yeah it's nice to get it right every now and then...

Thanks for the tip earlier on JPFS1,
Not sure if you can answer this but we know the original T6 Ranger project was worth $700 million to Ford Australia,
I wonder what the figure for the Everest will be, perhaps half as much again?

[shewi6]

are they completely sure that the T6 Ranger will be built and sold in America. I haven't seen any confirmation from ford???

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by shewi6

are they completely sure that the T6 Ranger will be built and sold in America. I haven't seen any confirmation from ford???

Mulally mentions new Ranager at the end of a list of new US vehicles, here's a LINK
to a video interview on Autoblog, check out what's said about the 5 minute mark.
Not 100% positive proof but Mulally is usually extremely careful with his words, he wanted to say it
and none of the interviewers picked up on it....that's astonishingly poor listening to say the least...

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Mulally mentions new Ranager at the end of a list of new US vehicles, here's a LINK
to a video interview on Autoblog, check out what's said about the 5 minute mark.
Not 100% positive proof but Mulally is usually extremely careful with his words, he wanted to say it
and none of the interviewers picked up on it....that's astonishingly poor listening to say the least...

Well "spotted" I think they're just awestruck having him on everytime, although I think the banner heading has been updated since your post. Must say Mulally's enthusiasm and down to earth nature is fantastic for a global head. The media does love having him for interviews, and deservedly so..think he sold a new Explorerer to Becky.

[Gobes32]

The man is the king of positive PR.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Well "spotted" I think they're just awestruck having him on everytime, although I think the banner heading has been updated since your post.

Yep, they do seem a little awestruck. Just a really personable bloke!

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Well "spotted" I think they're just awestruck having him on everytime, although I think the banner heading has been updated since your post. Must say Mulally's enthusiasm and down to earth nature is fantastic for a global head. The media does love having him for interviews, and deservedly so..think he sold a new Explorerer to Becky.

Seems happy with her 100,000 mile plus Explorer. But, reckon she might be happy with a new Explorer

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...804-119oh.html

Ford Australia to design new 4WD RICHARD BLACKBURN.
August 4, 2010 - 11:34AM

Ford Australia will design a new 4WD for overseas markets.

Ford Australia is reportedly designing a new Aussie-built four-wheel-drive for Asian markets.

The new project would be a huge shot in the arm for the company, which faces uncertainty over the long-term future of its locally designed Falcon and Territory cars.

The vehicle will be built on the same underpinnings as the upcoming Ranger one-tonne ute, a global platform developed by Ford Australia for sale both locally and overseas. That project employed more than 400 engineers at Ford's Broadmeadows headquarters in Victoria and will be sold in 150 countries.

Ford spokeswoman Sinead McAlary won't comment directly on a report in automotive industry journal Go Auto News that the local operation has been given the nod for the program.

But she says the company has always planned to build other vehicles off the estimated $700 million Ranger vehicle development program, which is codenamed T6.

"T6 is a global platform and we've always said we have the capability to generate more than one vehicle off that platform," she says.

The project is expected to be headed by US off-road specialist Todd Hoevener, who led the development of the new Explorer SUV in the United States and has recently moved to Australia.

Ford designers and engineers have been working with Ford and Mazda engineers in Thailand and Japan since 2006 on the T6, which will replace the current Ford Ranger ute and Mazda BT-50.

The new vehicle is likely to be powered by a new fuel-efficient four-cylinder turbo engine that will also power Falcon models from next year. Ford won't say how much the new project is worth - and it won't be as big as the original $700 million program - but it is likely to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The new 4WD is unlikely to replace the locally-built Ford Territory because it is based on more rudimentary truck underpinnings, while the Territory shares a more sophisticated platform with the Ford Falcon large car.

The futures of the Territory and Falcon are under review, with Ford considering replacing the Falcon with the US-designed Taurus after 2015. Ford wants to build global vehicles that can be sold in all markets and the Falcon and Territory are vulnerable because they are only sold in Australia.

Under the company's "One Ford" program, a future Territory may be based on the Taurus global platform. Ford could also replace the Territory with the Explorer SUV, which is already based on the Taurus.

Australia's car makers, faced with dwindling sales of their bread-and-butter local cars, are increasingly becoming involved in global projects.

Apart from Ford, Australian engineers are being trained by Toyota in Japan to play a leading role in the development of the next generation Toyota HiLux, while Holden engineers have been responsible for developing Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles off the Commodore.

[JPFS1]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Mulally mentions new Ranager at the end of a list of new US vehicles, here's a LINK
to a video interview on Autoblog, check out what's said about the 5 minute mark.
Not 100% positive proof but Mulally is usually extremely careful with his words, he wanted to say it
and none of the interviewers picked up on it....that's astonishingly poor listening to say the least...

He's not referring to T6 based.

North America have always had their own version and it will remain that way if they decide not to kill it.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by JPFS1

North America have always had their own version and it will remain that way if they decide not to kill it.

So much for 'One Ford' then.

EDIT: re: the capital outlay for the T6 project. I seem to recall it reported in the media when T6 was first announced that it was a $1.2 Billion project? This may have meant that it included development costs for the Everest as well.

[JPFS1]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Thanks for the tip earlier on JPFS1,
Not sure if you can answer this but we know the original T6 Ranger project was worth $700 million to Ford Australia,
I wonder what the figure for the Everest will be, perhaps half as much again?

Not certain, but the size of the program is significantly less, so we can assume the funds directed to Ford Australia for the program to get it up and running will be significantly less and much of the cost requirements would be going into T6 anyway. Just means FordOz get more of a kicker (better return) out of every sale though?

[JPFS1]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

So much for 'One Ford' then.

Got to remember the scope of T6 was drafted before the shift to one ford strategy.

One Ford has many variations though, it's not all about sending a globally developed car to the majority of the globe, there are many synergies that come from the concept of one Ford.

Ranger was already quite a global truck to begin with really wasn't it...? All Rangers supplied to various global market was off the one platform (apart from NA).

T6 is a continuation of that philosophy, just with Australia owning the program now (and for the life of the product).

[Gobes32]

That article above claims it will be an aussie built 4wd, I highly doubt that is true.....?

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

That article above claims it will be an aussie built 4wd, I highly doubt that is true.....?

I was thinking the same thing

If it gets built here then that would kill both the falcon and terry

I hope I am reading into it wrong

Jason

[Polyal]

No way just developed. T6 brought heaps of new infrastructure with it so the SUV will just piggy back off it.

Its just good news that the R&D work keeps coming in, FoA have to have it or they are in trouble.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...804-11fnz.html

Ford's 4WD plan to boost local workforce RICHARD BLACKBURN
August 5, 2010
.FORD Australia is designing a new four-wheel-drive vehicle for overseas.

The project will be a boost for the company, which faces uncertainty in the long term for its local-design Falcon and Territory cars.

The vehicle will be built on the same underpinnings as the upcoming Ranger one-tonne ute, a global platform developed by Ford Australia for sale in 150 countries.

That project employed more than 400 engineers at Ford's Broadmeadows headquarters in Victoria and the new program will allow Ford to maintain its local design and engineering workforce at current levels. The company employs close to 1000 designers and engineers in its product development division.

Ford spokeswoman Sinead McAlary wouldn't comment on a report in industry journal Go Auto News, which said the local operation has had the nod for the program.

But Ms McAlary said the company had always planned to spin other vehicles off the estimated $700 million Ranger vehicle development program, which is codenamed T6.

''T6 is a global platform and we've always said we have the capability to generate more than one vehicle off that platform,'' she said.

The project is expected to be headed by Ford US off-road specialist Todd Hoevener, who led the development of the new Explorer SUV in the United States and has recently moved to Australia. Ford designers and engineers have been working with Ford and Mazda engineers in Thailand and Japan since 2006 on the T6, which will replace the Ford Ranger ute and Mazda BT-50.

Ford won't say how much the new project is worth but it is likely to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

[R-Design]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...804-11fnz.html

...and the backhanded compliments continue.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Boss315

...and the backhanded compliments continue.

I'm going to plant an I.E.D. in Drive's lunch room.

[vztrt]

Ford gets moving on new SUV

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577880029F741

Engineers spotted testing rival SUVs as Ford embarks on next T6 program after Ranger

24 August 2010

By JAMES STANFORD

FORD Australia has been benchmarking existing rivals for Ford’s new international SUV that Melbourne-based engineers and designers are developing off the locally engineered T6 platform that will also spawn Ford’s Ranger ute replacement next year.

As GoAuto reported a fortnight ago, Ford’s Australian operation has moved on to engineering the SUV after wrapping up the development of the T6 ute, which is likely to make its international debut at the Australian International Motor Show in October.

A convoy of ute-based SUVs, including a Mitsubishi Triton-based Challenger, the Toyota HiLux-based Fortuna and the Nissan Navara-based Pathfinder, were spotted by this writer last week near Geelong, Victoria, on a familiarisation drive for key Ford engineers.

Those engineers included Ford Australia chassis manager Alex de Vlugt, who was travelling in a Thai-built Ford Everest – an SUV based on the current Ford Ranger but not sold in Australia.

The vehicles were travelling in line, covering suburban and country tarmac roads and a series of heavily rutted dirt roads.

As reported in GoAuto, the project will be headed by Ford Motor Company vehicle engineering manager and SUV specialist Todd Hoevener, who has just signed off on the all-new Ford Explorer launched this week in the United States.

GoAuto snapped pictures of a disguised T6 crew-cab ute going through late program validation testing the day before stumbling across the T6 SUV rival drive – the first time they have been caught on camera in Australia.

The two T6 utes appeared to be early production vehicles, not test mules.

While the cladding covered much of the vehicle, it was possible to make out parts of the headlights, as well as the muscular shape of the ute, which will go on sale next year.

Going by engine sounds as the vehicles passed, Ford was testing both a petrol and diesel version of the global workhorse.

The T6 is clearly larger that the current Thai-made Ranger, almost certainly making it the largest in its class. This size gain is expected to accommodate the US, where the new model will replace the bigger American Ford Ranger.

Early test mules spotted just out of Geelong last year looked larger than the Nissan Navara it was being benchmarked against and they don’t appear to have reduced in size.

[Joe5619]

Where are they building the T6 & when will it be on sale here??

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Where are they building the T6 & when will it be on sale here??

Built in Thailand. I think sometime next year. Prob have more info at the SMS.

[g220ba]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Where are they building the T6 & when will it be on sale here??

Thailand will be one of the facilities building the T6 and we'll probably see it next year.

Damn beaten to it.