By Malusi Msomi

The production of the 2.0Land 3.0L V6 engines comes after the R600m investment in the Struandale Engine Plant operations, which has also facilitated upgrades to the existing assembly line for the 2.0L Single Turbo and Bi-Turbo diesel engines. Design changes and additional derivatives of the engines have been added for the Next-Gen Ranger, which will be sold locally and exported to more than 100 global markets.

The 3.0L V6 Diesel is assembled on a modernized line along with current Duratorq TDCi engines, running flexible production format. The Struandale Plant is the only Ford facility in the world to produce V and in-line engines on same line. The line incorporates 40 stations that are common to both units and a further 25 stations that are unique to the 3.0L V6 Diesel. The total installed capacity for this line is 130 000 engines per year.

“The modernization and upgrades to the Struandale Engine Plant began in July 2021, and the construction was completed on time in December, ready to begin our tooling trials and pre-production runs this year in preparation for Job 1 for both engine programs commencing in August,” says Shawn Govender, Plant Manager of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant.

Ford South Africa is yet to announce local availability and powertrains are yet to be confirmed for the Next-Gen Ranger. Pricing and model derivatives should be announced closer to the local launch date.