There was a time, not too terribly long ago, when Ford considered pulling out of Australia altogether, a revelation that came from CEO Jim Farley himself. However, it’s hard to imagine that was ever the case now, given the fact that Ford Australia sales reached their highest level in a decade through the course of 2024, with the Ford Ranger and Everest leading the way. The current generation of both of those models was predominantly designed by Ford Australia as well, and now, we’re receiving confirmation that those design teams will remain intact, too.
According to CarExpert, Jim Baumbick – Ford’s Vice President, Advanced Product Development, Cycle Planning and Programs – confirmed that Australia will continue to serve as the base of Ford Ranger and Everest development for the foreseeable future, despite rumors to the contrary. When asked if Ford planned on moving that particular R&D team, Baumbick responded by saying “nope.” “What I love about our Ford Australia team is that they wake up every day and worry about the Ranger business. They built the business and know the customer the most. Out of 180 countries, that’s the focal point,” he added.
Just this past April, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford also threw his support behind the Australian development team as well. “One great thing about this team here is they have risen to every challenge they have ever had and they continue to knock it out of the park and I expect they will do so in the future,” he said. “Look, we have so much opportunity in front of us and we have made Australia a center of excellence for Ford. They have done a great job; just look at the sales results for Ranger and Everest. I think Ranger now is sold in 180 different countries, which is incredible. This is a great team here and they will have opportunity in the future.”
On top of that, Ford plans on “doubling down” in Australia to better compete with incoming Chinese rivals, according to Ford Australia president, Andrew Birkic. It also continues to add more models to its lineup in that part of the world, with the Ford F-150 representing one of the most recent.
Comments
Ford can make new cars, but the quality of its products has ruined its reputation in recent years, Recalls and more Recalls, it needs to improve a lot in quality.
Would love to have an Everest in the US. Not everyone needs the third row.
These wet belt engines will be their undoing. The horror stories emerging cam belt failure and their servicing costs have put me off all together