This, according to the automaker’s Head of Product Planning in Australia, James Tol, who told motoring.com.au at the launch of the new Triton in Tasmania that while an opportunity exists for a possible Raptor rival, no plans have yet been confirmed.
“I’m not going to speculate as to whether we are or we aren’t [planning to produce a Ranger Raptor rival]. At the moment we’re concentrating on getting the model range we have bedded down and launched. I’d never say never… we will talk about that down the track,” Tol told the online publication.
Currently the third best seller Down Under behind the Ford Ranger and market leading Toyota Hilux, Tol stated that the Triton has what it takes to pose a threat to the segment dominating duo, describing it as being “harder edge(d) but with substance”.
“We’re really happy with the technology and safety that’s gone into this [Triton] – it’s what ought to be in vehicles like this – and we worked really hard to make sure we could get collision mitigation and lane-departure warning actually into the workhorse grades, and we did it,” he said, referring to the Triton being the first pick-up in the local market to include tech such as Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and up to seven airbags.
“I think what this is really doing is opening new opportunities for us – a little bit like when Ford first came to the market with a five-star [ANCAP] ute – that opened lots of doors for them. In the workhorse space vehicles are there to do a job,” Tol continued.
“Capability really is one of the primary concerns, but safety is now definitely right up there, and I think that now we’ve broken in and said ‘if you need to buy this style of workhorse ute you can now get the safety technology you deserve’ that we’ll see more interest from safety-conscious buyers”.
Priced from $22 490 (R217 759) for the entry-level 94kW 2.4 petrol single cab GLX chassis cab to $51 990 (R503 394) for the 133kW 2.4 DI-D GLS Premium double cab 4x4 auto, the Triton is expected to make it local debut later this year.
