While the door hasn't been completely shut, Ford Australia doesn't see the business case in bringing the F-150 Raptor down under.
A Ford F-150 Raptor for Australia – converted to right-hand drive by a factory-backed operation – won’t be happening any time soon, and currently doesn’t stack up on paper according to a Ford executive.
“Look, I hate to say never,” said Kay Hart, head of Ford’s International Markets Group (IMG), when recently asked about any chance that the Ford F-150 Raptor or Bronco Raptor could ever make it to Australia.
“I don’t believe the F-150 Raptor as a right-hand drive conversion is probably the right vehicle.” Hart continued.
“I don't think the volume is really there, and therefore the investment that you would need to do a right-hand drive conversion of it, the business case (isn’t there).”
“I’m not saying customers don’t demand for it, I just think it’s very small.”
“Especially when you look at a right hand drive converted product in an F-150, and a locally designed, built-up unit from Thailand like the Ranger Raptor, it’s a very large difference.”
Ford’s locally converted F-150 program got off to a shaky start with a handful of recalls, which included problems with the vehicle’s steering and ADR (Australian Design Rules) compliance.
The Ford F-150 goes up against locally converted examples of the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota Tundra.
Ram extended its conversion program to include the performance-oriented 1500 TR-X model, with almost 1000 vehicles sold over a three year period.
Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell
