Jim Farley drove 300 miles through Queensland, camped with Ranger owners, and returned with a multibillion-dollar decision for Ford's global lineup
Making decisions in a boardroom is different than in the real world. Australia is proving to be an incredibly important battleground for Ford . New Ranger Super Duty exemplifies the brand's commitment to Australia .
Rather than burying its head in the sand and refusing to acknowledge the existential threat posed by new carmakers from Asia, particularly China, Ford wants to challenge them head-on. That approach is already playing out in Australia, where the company sees a valuable testing ground for strategies that could shape its performance in South America, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions where Chinese automakers are steadily gaining ground. Earlier this month, Ford chief executive Jim Farley headed to Australia to get his hands dirty, discovering what it’s like to own one of the brand’s vehicles and to listen to customers and dealers about what Ford should do next. Farley’s visit coincided with a trip to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where Ford made its race debut with the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls outfits. Read: Ford Turns The Ranger Super Duty Into A $65K Premium Workhorse The Ford Ranger has been Australia’s best-selling new car since the current-generation model launched, no doubt in part because of the fact that it was largely designed and developed in the country. Farley drove 300 miles across Southeast Queensland to discover why the Ranger has proven to be so popular and brought along Ford’s chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra and vice president of Advanced product Development Sam Basile to help. Lessons From The People Farley says he and his team got deeply immersed in Ranger ownership in Australia, even camping with a group of owners and speaking about what features they’d like to see in future vehicles. While executives like Farley can easily make decisions from the comfort of their offices and expansive boardrooms, there’s nothing quite like traveling to a country to discover what actually works there, and what doesn’t. One of Ford’s most important recent plays in Australia was the launch of the Ranger Super Duty. Built for those who need a pickup to handle even the most difficult tasks, the Super Duty sits wider than the standard model and can tow up to 9,921 lbs , a huge gain over the standard Ranger’s 7,716 lbs towing capacity. Ford may also be looking to stretch its pickup lineup beyond pure utility. Speaking to local media during the same trip, Farley indicated the company is exploring a return to performance-oriented utes, potentially reintroducing a street-focused, high-performance pickup to sit alongside its workhorse variants, echoing the spirit of the discontinued Ford Falcon ute. After the trip, Farley revealed he has made “multibillion-dollar decision” about the company’s lineup, not just in Australia, but globally. Just what he is planning remains to be seen, but it should help shape the future of the brand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6VnmslJgqM
Featured Ford Ford Ranger Ford Videos Reports Trucks Video
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Transcript: Rep. Jim Himes on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,' March 29, 2026The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut, that aired on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan' on March 29, 2026.
Read more »
Jim Acosta Praises Anti-Trump Protest Signs at 'No Kings' RallyFormer CNN anchor Jim Acosta interviewed and praised protesters at a 'No Kings' rally in Washington, DC, displaying anti-Trump signs. He made favorable comments about the signs and acknowledged concerns about the Epstein files. This occurred amid reports of Acosta leaving CNN after a programming change.
Read more »
Rep. Jim Himes accuses Trump of 'flat-out lying' about negotiating with IranDemocratic Rep. Jim Himes accused President Trump of lying about U.S. negotiations with Iran on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.'
Read more »
Jim Rossman: Sometimes technology is annoyingI’ve also experienced a tone or chime when I connect to various Bluetooth speakers from my computer or my phone. But we all have our levels of annoyance we...
Read more »
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar break silence on son Joseph’s arrest: 'Heartbroken'Joseph Duggar, who was arrested for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl, has been hit with additional charges as his wife, Kendra, was also shockingly arrested in Arkansas Friday.
Read more »
You Got The Promotion. Then Everything Went Downhill.This week’s Careers newsletter has advice on handling the downsides of a promotion, high-paying skills to add to your resume, tips on handling feedback at work and more.
Read more »