TOUGH GUYS SET TO CHALLENGE ALL-NEW FORD RANGER
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has announced the three finalists that will be putting the all-new Ranger through some of the toughest tests imaginable as part of its Global Ranger Challenge competition. This is coming at a time when the profile of the popular pick-up is soaring in Nigeria where the brand is marketed by Coscharis Motors Limited.
The finalists – Storage Engineer, Rickard Nell; Property Negotiator, Gerhard Koekemoer; and irrigation farmer, Klaus Wassermann – will go head to head in what will undoubtedly be the all-new Ranger's toughest set of challenges on South African soil.
Glen Hill, The Citizen's Motoring Editor, who was one of the judges responsible for whittling the hundreds of competition entries down to three, is confident that the team has made the right choices: 'We are all incredibly excited to see each of the finalists fulfill their ultimate challenge in the all-new Ranger, and will be watching closely to see the new truck take on some truly extraordinary conditions.'
And extraordinary they are! Nell, who has described his challenge as 'Ranger vs. The Rock', will pit the pick up truck against the treacherous off-road challenges found at the infamous Moegatle trail and mountain rock climb. Koekemoer, on the other hand, wants to challenge the all-new Ranger in some of South Africa's most remote and inhabitable areas, where he erects cell phone towers and masts, while Wassermann will test the power, off-road handling and load capabilities of the all-new Ranger over a 48 hour farm endurance trail he has specifically created to put the truck through its paces.
The Ford Ranger Challenge started in Australia during the month of May 2011, followed by Thailand with the latest leg now happening in South Africa, where these three finalists selected from over 500 entries, will be among the first in the world to drive and test the all-new Ranger in real world conditions.
Each of these challenges will be filmed by a crew from Ford, and the video uploaded onto the official Ranger Challenge Website, where the general public can log onto and vote for their favourite challenge in the month of October 2011. The final winner, who will walk away with the grand prize of an all-new Ranger, will be announced in November.
'We're confident that our three finalists will put on a great show as they try to push the all-new Ranger to its limit,' comments Ford Marketing Manager Ben Pillay. 'This competition is all about showing what the all-new Ranger can do, and we believe that the best way to demonstrate this is by putting it in the hands of some of South Africa's toughest guys, and hardest workers. We can't wait to get started!'