Mako goes after Raptor
With Ford holding the reins of the ute market since about 2014, it was always going to be a case of when – not if – Toyota NZ would deliver a model to compete.
It scored 89% for overall safety, one of the highest scores recorded by Euro NCAP for any type of vehicle. And it was best by Euro NCAP for pedestrian protection (81%).
Says Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe, "If the worst were to happen, the new Ranger would protect passengers of all ages and pedestrians."
Euro NCAP (set up 1997) is the largest and most respected independent authority on crash testing in Europe, Ford says.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general, said: "With such good pedestrian protection, the Ford Ranger is raising the bar of safety in the category of pickup trucks, which had until now not proven to be the safest."
The Ranger's passenger cell uses high-strength steel throughout. Load paths in the front, side, and rear direct crash forces away from passengers. This, and a new ladder frame, was optimised to manage the crash energy in a variety of impacts.
Computer modelling enabled engineers to assess 9000 virtual crash tests before any of the 110 actual vehicle crash tests or 410 system sled tests were done.
Ford beat its own record for the number of crash tests, says Adam Frost, chief engineer, Digital Innovation, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa.
Side curtain airbags, standard on all Ranger cab styles in Europe for the first time, pop out of the headliner to protect passengers during side impact.
New side airbags also deploy from the side bolster of the front seats to protect the thorax from side-impact forces, working in tandem with the front airbags for the driver and front passenger.
