When it comes to testing the next-generation Ranger’s toughness and durability, Ford’s global team of development engineers doesn’t pull any punches - after all, they need to deliver a truly global pick up that is up for the challenge across 180 markets.
Built from the ground up to be the toughest, smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever, the truck is being subjected to more physical and virtual testing than ever before.
The next-gen Ford Ranger is being put through its paces across some of the toughest terrain around the world to, not only ensure it’s capable and customer ready, but that it also meets Ford’s stringent world-class quality, reliability and durability standards.
Testing includes tackling muddy bush tracks, coping with the rigours of extreme tropical weather, towing over alpine passes, enduring temperatures of more than 50° Celsius, and much more.
So far, next-generation Ranger testing has covered around 10,000km of desert driving, the equivalent of 1,250,000km of customer driving, and the equivalent of 625,000km of rugged off-road durability testing at maximum load capacity, and testing is continuing around the world.
But even before the first prototypes hit the road for testing, Ford’s engineers subjected next-gen Ranger to thousands of hours of computer simulations and thousands more of real-world simulations in labs, covering everything from aerodynamics to component and structure durability.
Computer simulations help speed up development, which helps refine and test specific components, there is really is no replacement for real-world testing to really see how it stands up to years of customer use.
Ford say that Ranger customers expect their vehicles to go above and beyond, so this rigorous testing mimics a variety of real-world scenarios customers might put their pick up through. And it takes place at Ford facilities across the world to ensure the next-gen Ford Ranger meets the needs of customers in more than 180 markets.
Some of these tests are deemed too rigorous for humans to endure, so computer simulations and robotics are used to replace humans in cases like the extreme ‘squeak and rattle’ rig where the pickup’s suspension and whole body is exposed to punishing test cycles that are repeated 24/7.
