2025 Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid
On the anniversary of its 100th birthday in South Africa, Ford Motor Company announced a R5.2 billion investment in its local operations.
The money will go towards enhancing the Silverton plant in Pretoria where the first-ever Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will be built.
Ford Global’s investment in its South African operations over the last 14 years is nearly R33bn, affirming the Blue Oval’s commitment to our market.
READ | Ads suggest Ford will build new hybrid Ranger in SA
“The additional investment in the Silverton Assembly Plant for the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid takes our total manufacturing investment in South Africa over the past 14 years to around $1.72 billion, or nearly R33 billion,” says Andrea Cavallaro, Operations director, Ford International Markets Group.
“It signals our commitment to [South Africa], our employees, and our extensive supplier network.”
The announcement confirms our earlier suspicions that the Ranger hybrid will be produced locally.
The upcoming Ranger models
1. Ford Ranger PHEV
As confirmed, the Ford Ranger PHEV will be powered by a 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine. This motor will be paired with an electric motor and battery pack, allowing for an all-electric driving range of “more than 45km”.
It is not yet clear how much power this engine will produce for application in the Ranger PHEV, but, for reference, it produced 213kW/441Nm in the Mustang 2.3 EcoBoost and 257kW/440Nm in the erstwhile Ford Focus RS.
READ | All the engines powering the new Ford Ranger
Of course, the electric motor and battery will provide additional power to whatever the internal combustion engine offers, while possibly making this Ranger the most economical one to date.
The Ford Ranger PHEV’s production will commence “in late 2024”.
“As with the current Ranger models, the new Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will be exported to Europe as part of our commitment to offer a wide range of powertrain options for customers in this important mid-size bakkie segment,” Cavallaro says.
“For the first time in about two decades, the Silverton plant will also be supplying vehicles to Australia and New Zealand, as it will be the source market for the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid for these countries.”
2. Ford Ranger Tremor
Following the recent local launch of the adventure-ready Ranger Wildtrak X, Ford will soon be introducing the Ranger Tremor using the same basic recipe, as it is aimed at customers who require enhanced capability in challenging off-road conditions.
The Tremor is based on the hard-working XLT series and incorporates a substantially reworked chassis with wider track and higher ground clearance, along with Bilstein Position-Sensitive Dampers and off-road focused driver assistance systems as standard.
3. Ford Ranger Platinum
The upcoming Ranger Platinum is positioned above the popular Wildtrak models and raises luxury and comfort to a new level in the Ranger family, as well as for the local pickup segment.
It is aimed at customers who appreciate the premium levels of comfort and technology from high-end road cars, but who rely on the toughness and all-round productivity that consistently make Ranger the double cab leader in South Africa.
