All Ford Rangers now five-star ANCAP rated

FROM May this year, Ford’s entry Ranger 4x2 cab chassis variants will join the rest of the range in coming standard with head-protecting curtain airbags, meaning the entire line-up now achieves the maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating.

It means the Blue Oval brand’s Australian-designed and engineered light commercial line now matches its twin-under-the-skin Mazda BT-50, which has had a range-wide five-star rating since launch in October 2011.

According to ANCAP data, all single- and dual-cab Ranger variants with the exception of the single-cab with a front bench seat score a commendable 35.72 points out of 37.

These single-cab iterations, while now coming standard with side-curtains, do not get side thorax airbags like the rest of the range (the total number of airbags on all other Rangers is six).

The score on these versions is reduced to 34.72, still a five-star performance.

These versions were previously four-star cars.

It all means that dual-front airbags, head-protecting side curtains, anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and electronic stability control (ESC) are standard on all variants.

Ford Australia brand communications manager Neil McDonald said the move would give already-booming Ranger sales an additional “bump”, with five-star ratings becoming an ever-larger occupational health and safety consideration for fleets and contractors.

The Ranger has belied sluggish sales in the LCV market overall this year, with 4x2 versions selling at a 23.9 per cent improvement to the end of March, and 4x4 bodystyles up 18.1 per cent.

So strong have the Ranger’s sales become, the Ford offering is now Australia’s second top-selling ute range behind Toyota’s all-conquering HiLux.