A bakkie needs to be rugged, durable and ready to take on the world. The new Ford Ranger is the toughest Ranger yet, and stands out from the crowd with a winning combination of unequalled interior durability and passenger comfort.
The materials inside the new Ford Ranger have been designed to handle everything customers can throw at them, whether it is mud and tools, wear and tear from extended road trips or – the ultimate test – kids on their way to school. The new Ranger is designed to endure it all.
Every Ford vehicle goes through extensive materials testing, but Ranger customers demand an especially high level of endurance. Throughout the design and development process, Ford subjected hundreds of different materials to thousands of hours of testing to ensure they are not only tough enough to meet the standards expected of a bakkie used for demanding work, but are also comfortable and at home in any environment.
These tests include:
· The scratch test: The Ranger’s hard trim is designed to take a lot of abuse over its lifetime. In this test, materials are scratched with varying amounts of pressure to measure at what point damage becomes visible. The trim in the new Ranger is able to withstand up to 15 newtons of pressure focused into a single 1mm point while also looking ready for work.
· The snag test: A work bakkie like the Ranger faces an endless list of objects that can potentially snag and damage interior fabrics. Keys, tools, boots, pets and pens are among the worst offenders. The snag test runs a metal ball with steel spikes, similar to a medieval mace, over the materials for hours on end to identify fabrics that are more likely to snag and tear. Only the most resilient materials make the cut.
· The stain test: Accidental spills are all but unavoidable when you’re working on the road. The materials in the new Ranger have been tested with some of the most commonly spilled staining liquids, including coffee, oil and ketchup. To pass this test, the stains must be acceptably removed from the materials using simple household cleaning products. Customers don’t need to worry about wearing new jeans, either – engineers made sure that any indigo dye that rubs off can be cleaned easily.
Ford’s material tests are designed to simulate years of use and abuse long before customers subject their Rangers to the demands of daily life. Throughout the process hundreds of materials are rejected for not meeting the high standards demanded by Ranger customers and set by the engineering team.
Thanks to extensive testing by Ford’s material and seat engineering teams, the new Ford Ranger brings a higher level of comfort and refinement to its segment without compromising on the rugged durability that bakkie driver’s demand.
