Industry News: Volkswagen's CEO Says A Badge-Engineered Version of the Ranger Could Happen

[William Maley]

Since Volkswagen and Ford announced a new partnership back in the summer, there have been rumors flying around if it could expand into other areas. The two said it would primarily focus commercial vehicles, but they were open to other opportunities. As we reported last week, the two are discussing the possibility of expanding into autonomous tech and electric vehicles.

Recently, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess gave an interview to Automotive News. He reiterated that the focus of the partnership is for commercial vehicles, but could expand.

“There’s nothing signed yet with Ford. We are in talks. Most of the talks have been centered around our light-duty vehicles — our small commercial vehicles business in Europe, where we found huge synergies. We are both relatively small in size against our peers, so what we’re talking about is sharing a few platforms and manufacturing sites there, which makes sense. And within the dialogue, we are also touching other options, but this will be the main focus if we come to a conclusion,” said Diess.

One example Diess brought up is using the Ford Ranger as a replacement for the Volkswagen Amarok. The current truck has been on sale since 2010 with a range of diesel engines to compete against the likes of the Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and Nissan Navara. Developing a new model would cost a fair amount of cash that Volkswagen would like to use elsewhere. This is where Ford could in and allow Volkswagen to use the Ranger as a basis for a next-generation Amarok. This may allow Volkswagen to sell the Amarok in the U.S. Of course, there is also the Atlas Tanoak concept shown at the New York Auto Show earlier this year that Volkswagen is considering sending into production.

“If the Ford relationship works out well, we would have an Amarok successor, which would be then appropriate for sales worldwide — potentially as well for the United States. The other option is a unibody pickup, which is something for America, which is probably still a bit risky,” said Diess.

This is one of many decision that Volkswagen might make in the near future. Another is allowing Ford to use their MEB toolkit for electric vehicles.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[A Horse With No Name]

Because a badge engeneered Routan Dodge van was such an amazing success. VW had a 39 month backlog/inventory at one point.

Next up...the return of diesel and the air cooled bug.

[Robert Hall]

Maybe Ford could get a badge-engineered Taurus from the new Arteon.

[David]

I honestly have not figured out what is so great about VW products. German heritage but clearly my American self just does not like the bland blah looks, feel, driving dynamics of the Nazi cars. 

[frogger]

22 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I honestly have not figured out what is so great about VW products. German heritage but clearly my American self just does not like the bland blah looks, feel, driving dynamics of the Nazi cars. 

True, Henry Ford's cars underwhelm...

 

[A Horse With No Name]

45 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Maybe Ford could get a badge-engineered Taurus from the new Arteon.

That's just about as wrong as interbreeding a cat and a dog and calling it a cog...

42 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I honestly have not figured out what is so great about VW products. German heritage but clearly my American self just does not like the bland blah looks, feel, driving dynamics of the Nazi cars. 

When one needs to look 70 years back in the past to dislike something...hmmm...why not just say they are not your thing? no car is for everyone.

20 minutes ago, frogger said:

True, Henry Ford's cars underwhelm...

 

The current generation, yes...but for Decades they built wickedly cool stuff. It's almost as after the late 1970's they took a Canadian snowstorm as inspiration for their products. Bland.

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

That's just about as wrong as interbreeding a cat and a dog and calling it a cog...

 

Replacing one largish fwd sedan with another largish fwd sedan, seems straightforward enough.   And there have been Fords rebadged as VWs and VWs rebadged as Fords in S America, so not a new concept...

[David]

20 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

That's just about as wrong as interbreeding a cat and a dog and calling it a cog...

When one needs to look 70 years back in the past to dislike something...hmmm...why not just say they are not your thing? no car is for everyone.

The current generation, yes...but for Decades they built wickedly cool stuff. It's almost as after the late 1970's they took a Canadian snowstorm as inspiration for their products. Bland.

COG = 

I get the point your making, but my comment is what I feel spot on for the bug history that to me never really did it and I feel that same passion from that era continues today at that company. Maybe I would feel different if after WWII they had closed VW and required it to start up as another auto company name. My issue, point made and I understand what you are saying my friend.

I get what your saying in regards to Ford. They had some amazing products, but the mass market versions of cars for the most point did underwhelm.

[A Horse With No Name]

20 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Replacing one largish fwd sedan with another largish fwd sedan, seems straightforward enough.   And there have been Fords rebadged as VWs and VWs rebadged as Fords in S America, so not a new concept...

Yeah...but Ford will really loose what is left of their American automotive identity if they start selling Euro Sedans as Fords.

The bland nature of current product from most car makers is why I have moved back into being a railfan and a fan of vintage Woodworking tools from being an automotive fan.  As an enthusiast getting excited about most of today's cars is nothing short of impossible.

Either start building passionate interesting products or we really can go to an era of self driving appliances.

[Robert Hall]

17 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Yeah...but Ford will really loose what is left of their American automotive identity if they start selling Euro Sedans as Fords.

The bland nature of current product from most car makers is why I have moved back into being a railfan and a fan of vintage Woodworking tools from being an automotive fan.  As an enthusiast getting excited about most of today's cars is nothing short of impossible.

Either start building passionate interesting products or we really can go to an era of self driving appliances.

Well, they already have several Euro sedans in their line...the Fiesta, Focus, the Fusion/Mondeo, and the current Taurus is on a old Volvo-derived platform. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Well, they all ready have Euro sedans in their line...the Focus, the Fusion/Mondeo, and the current Taurus is on a Volvo-derived platform. 

...and that is one reason their corporate identity is dilluted and I rant on endlessly so.

[daves87rs]

Well, if it gives Ford at least one other carin the line up, it would sure help! 

Both automakers are battered and weak, so sharing a few products for now would not be a bad thing....

 

I mean, how much worse of a car could it be than a 80s Ford Escort? Now that was bland......

[A Horse With No Name]

11 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

Well, if it gives Ford at least one other carin the line up, it would sure help! 

Both automakers are battered and weak, so sharing a few products for now would not be a bad thing....

 

I mean, how much worse of a car could it be than a 80s Ford Escort? Now that was bland......

A modern base spec fiesta is just as much of a pentalty box to drive.

[daves87rs]

2 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

A modern base spec fiesta is just as much of a pentalty box to drive.

Yep, that is quite true.....

And then they finally have a fun compact to drive in the latest Focus, and you can’t get a tranny to last more than 30k.....

[A Horse With No Name]

8 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Yep, that is quite true.....

And then they finally have a fun compact to drive in the latest Focus, and you can’t get a tranny to last more than 30k.....

Awkward back seat layout and ungainly styling from the rear kill the current Focus for me.

[ccap41]

10 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Yep, that is quite true.....

And then they finally have a fun compact to drive in the latest Focus, and you can’t get a tranny to last more than 30k.....

I mean... my car has 34k on it.. 😉

[A Horse With No Name]

21 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I mean... my car has 34k on it.. 😉

 

Obviously you are a man who enjoys a walk on the wild side and taking chances...

Just kidding.

My beef with Ford is not that they build bad transmissions, it is that they need to be building more class leading product.

[ccap41]

They've had the same transmission with issues since 2012. They should have made a more drastic fix to it. I definitely get the shutter but the warranty has been extended on the transmission to 100k because they know they built a POS. 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

They've had the same transmission with issues since 2012. They should have made a more drastic fix to it. I definitely get the shutter but the warranty has been extended on the transmission to 100k because they know they built a POS. 

My friends Focus has like 60K on it...shifts a bit awkward, but not terrible. He likes the car and drives it everywhere....he had a Saturn before the Focus.

If you blame Ford for all of the crappy transmissions they put in Focus and Fiesta, you have to give them credit for the decent transmissions they put in everything else IMHO.

And while we are bitching about transmissions, how about many of the older Nissan CVT transmissions? Those made the Ford Focus and Fiesta seem as smooth as 20 year old Scotch by comparison....and yet few people ever pan them.

[riviera74]

Actually, I am FOR Ford replacing their current CARS with VW-built ones (excluding the Mustang!).  Think about it: no one really buys Ford CARS anymore (SUV/CUVs yes, cars no), so it seems that Ford and VW should do what they do best. 

As for the Routan, the idea was sound but the execution was not there.  Anybody with a clue knew it was still a Chrysler minivan with a VW logo on it.  As we have seen, there were few if any takers when they existed on dealerships, excluding those that were heavily discounted.

One question: is VW build quality as good as (or better than) Ford build quality?

[Suaviloquent]

I’m split on that. Because Ford cars do decent in Europe and Ford is well differentiated from VW. 

 

The Polo is simply not a Fiesta. The Focus is far more fun than the Golf. The Golf is more, Golf.

The Transit is the best or nothing in terms of cargo vans.

Electric vehicles I think Ford has the edge here too. They don’t have to produce nearly as many for compliance, and they have 300 mile plus crossovers in mind from the very beginning . I think Ford is eyeing Porsche’s 800KW charging tech.

[Drew Dowdell]

On 11/5/2018 at 3:49 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

Yeah...but Ford will really loose what is left of their American automotive identity if they start selling Euro Sedans as Fords.

1

They've been doing that for decades.  The original Focus, the Contour, the final Cougar, even the current Fusion.

[Drew Dowdell]

13 hours ago, riviera74 said:

One question: is VW build quality as good as (or better than) Ford build quality?

 

For both, it highly depends on which plant they come out of.  VW's Chattanooga plant seems to do good work, every Passat I've driven has been very solid and well built.  Their plant in Mexico, not as much. 

[A Horse With No Name]

4 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

They've been doing that for decades.  The original Focus, the Contour, the final Cougar, even the current Fusion.

Again...I think they need something more uniquely Ford.

 

[David]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Again...I think they need something more uniquely Ford.

 

Would that not be the 4 door muttang that Ford has talked about? 

[frogger]

Bronco OJ Edition

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by frogger