Ford and Volkswagen signed off on a landmark partnership agreement back in June of 2020 that has already led to a few collaborations, including the 2022 Ford Tourneo Connect – which is a rebadged version of the Volkswagen Caddy and utilizes Volkswagen engines that are rebranded with the Ford EcoBoost and EcoBlue names. The two automakers will share much more moving forward, however, with a pair of future Blue Oval EV crossovers utilizing VW’s MEB platform, while the next-generation Volkswagen Amarok will be based on the recently-revealed next-gen international market Ford Ranger, which may also spawn an Audi pickup. However, the Amarok will not be getting a more hardcore variant based on the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor, according to Drive.
It would be quite easy to create a VW version of the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor, given the fact that both the Amarok and Ranger will be essentially identical underneath their unique bodywork. However, Drive reports that Ford was unwilling to share the high-performance off-roader with its German partner, preferring to keep that appealing model all to itself.
“The deal (with the Volkswagen Amarok) was for a mid-size pick-up program. The new Amarok is a fully-differentiated sibling vehicle, however, the arrangement is for the core models. Raptor for us is considered a separate sub-segment, and it’s not included in the sharing deal,” Ian Foston, Ford Ranger global chief engineer, explained. However, that doesn’t rule out VW creating its own high-performance Amarok.
“Given the runaway success of the current W580 series and the anticipated take-up of the pending off-road focussed W580X, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is open to further collaborations,” said Volkswagen Australia spokesman Paul Pottinger. “As initial allocations of W Series Amarok vehicles sold out within minutes of being made available online, an ongoing collaboration would be desirable.”
Meanwhile, the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor – which was revealed back in February – will arrive at U.S. dealers sometime next year alongside the regular Ranger, though no specific date has been specified as of yet.
We’ll have more on the 2023 Ranger Raptor soon, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Ranger news, Ford Ranger Raptor news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comment
Raptor models have an entirely unique frame, suspension setup, and platform than other vehicles. The only similarities they have with the vehicles they are based on is the body, and even that is slightly tweaked. It wouldn’t be so easy for Volkswagen to design something around it or even get it from Ford since there is a very limited supply of its parts.