Sales data show that, despite the Ranger now offering fewer powertrain choices, it still delivers the driveability and comfort South African family buyers need. Without sacrificing the all-terrain ability buyers expect from any double-cab. Of the 12,522 Rangers registered in the first half of this year, more than 80 % were double-cabs.
Outlook to December
South African customers. Hilux double-cab was in second place( 7,887), and Isuzu ' s D-Max double-cab in third( 4,415).
Ryan Searle, Director of Sales at Ford South Africa, explains the Ranger double-cab ' s success. " South Africans ' love for the double-cab bakkie runs far deeper than practicality alone. Bakkies are rooted in a national identity that blends work and lifestyle into one single offering. This dual-purpose demand means owners expect a vehicle to possess the structural integrity to handle demanding work, while offering the refinement expected of a modern( dare I say luxury) passenger vehicle."
No influence with engine change
What is interesting about the Ranger ' s continued success is how much different its powertrain offerings have become over the last few months.
The per-unit profitability of doublecabs is much higher than single-cabs. For automakers with a significant investment in bakkie production and sales, double-cabs are where the real money is to be made.
It ' s unlikely that any rival brand will unseat Hilux as the biggest bakkie brand in South Africa. The Hilux model matrix is just too diverse, with entrenched customer loyalty and the country ' s most extensive and well-funded after-sales network. With the new Hilux launched in South Africa at exactly the midyear point, the sales trends toward year-end will be fascinating.
Earlier this year, Ford made a significant change to the Ranger engine lineup, retiring its most popular double-cab engine, the 2.0 Bi-Turbo Diesel. This engine was replaced by the notably less powerful 2.0 single-turbo version. The result was that buyers had to choose between the 3.0 V6 turbodiesel engine range and the 2.0 single-turbo diesel, with reduced highway cruising and overtaking performance.
In the extremely competitive South African bakkie market, there was significant risk for Ford in discontinuing the Ranger ' s 2.0 Bi- Turbo Diesel engine. But it was also a perfect market experiment,
proving that South African double-cab buyers don ' t buy with an obsession with power, but consider the overall bakkie build and cabin comfort equally important.
Where Ford has removed an engine option from the Ranger, Toyota has also tested the expectations of its loyal customers. The new Hilux uses a carry-over platform and cab structure, which means the rear legroom and comfort are still worse than the Ranger ' s. However, Toyota has invested significantly in upgrading the Hilux ' s switchgear. As South Africa ' s two leading bakkie models, the sales between Hilux and Ranger define the local bakkie market. It will be telling to see how close the Hilux comes to narrowing the gap to the Ranger in overall double-cab sales, towards year-end.
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