Next-Gen Ford Ranger Engine Production Begins In South Africa

The all-new, next-gen Ford Ranger launched in select markets this past spring, but the mid-size pickup continues its expansive rollout by recently landing in six Asian countries with a grand total of 40 export markets on the horizon. The next-gen Ford Ranger has already launched in Australia, while order banks for Wildtrak and Limited trims opened in Europe earlier this month, though the new pickup won’t arrive in the U.S. until 2023 for the 2024 model year. In the meantime, Ford has been working to ramp up production at the Silverton Assembly plant in South Africa,, and now, next-gen Ford Ranger engine production has begun in that same region, according to Xplore.

Production of the turbocharged Ford 3.0L V6 Power Stroke diesel engine destined for the new Ranger is underway at the Struandale Engine plant, along with the 2.0L single- and bi-turbo diesel powerplants. Ford spent a total of R600 million (around $34 million USD) making improvements to the Struandale plant to prepare it for this changeover, part of which was used to improve the existing assembly lines, as well as to ramp up production as the new pickup will eventually be sold in 100 markets.

One unique thing about this particular setup is that both the inline and V-configuration engines will be built on the same line. “This was a major challenge for our team and required a lot of creative and innovative thinking, but our facilities were crucial to ensuring a low total investment and competitive cost per unit,” said Ford Struandale Engine plant manager Shawn Govender.

While these engines are largely carryover units, Ford did make a total of 23 changes to the 2.0L single- and bi-turbo powerplants that will wind up in the next-gen Ranger, most of which aim to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), as well as improve durability, dependability, and quality, which is tested extensively by the automaker. “The lengthy and stringent dynamometer tests are vital in certifying the training of our staff, the application of the production processes and systems, as well as the performance and durability of the engines,” Govender said.

We’ll have more on the next-gen Ranger soon, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Ranger news and continuous Ford news coverage.