Is Australia’s best-selling vehicle going to lose its popular bi-turbo engine option?
Highly likely, and probably sooner than Ford Australia wants.
With tighter emissions on their way, the 154kW and 500Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel unit found in the Ford Ranger ute and Ford Everest SUV, is said to be headed for the chopping block within the next two years, leaving only the single-turbo version (and V6s) to carry on from the current line-up.
According to one company source, the investment focus moving forward for all diesel engines from Ford Pro (the Blue Oval’s commercial vehicle arm) will be centred upon development of the existing “Panther” series engine family’s single-turbo version.
Dubbed ‘EcoBlue’ in Ford-speak, the latter is already offered in Australia in different states of tune, namely in the base, 125kW/405Nm Ranger XL, new fifth-generation 125kW/390Nm Transit Custom mid-sized van and its 130kW/390Nm Tourneo MPV offshoot.
Ford Everest Sport BiTurbo.
The key point here is that while the single-turbo diesel will evolve, with cleaner emissions as well as probable higher engine outputs to at least match the bi-turbo, the latter would not survive the next-generation rules concerning nitrogen oxides (NOx), total hydrocarbons (THC), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter.
CarsGuide reached out to Ford Australia for confirmation, but a spokesperson declined to comment on the bi-turbo’s future at this time.
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It is understood this decision was made well before the European Commission rolled back some of its coming Euro 7 emissions standard proposals earlier this year. The original plan was to lead to much-tougher anti-pollution guidelines for vehicles like Ranger and Everest starting from mid-2027.
Given that the Panther diesel engine family – which is built in the UK as well as South Africa – has been a British and German development project that launched all the way back in 2016, the bi-turbo’s expected eventual demise should come as no surprise as it would fall foul of European standards.
Australians had a first taste of it when the 2018 Ranger facelift arrived two years later, as an option over the older 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel, before replacing it completely when the redesigned Ranger arrived in 2022.
No expiry date has been publicly set for the bi-turbo diesel in either Ranger or Everest at this stage, some speculation suggests the axe could fall as soon as 2026, to follow on from Euro 6d emissions regulations coming into force in Australia in December, 2025 – nearly five years after their European debut.
Only Ford knows the answer, but this timing coincides with the protracted release of the Ranger plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) announced last year. That powertrain was expected to supplement the bi-turbo in the ute line-up in Australia, but it may eventually replace it altogether.
Using a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine mated with an electric motor, the Ranger PHEV is anticipated to provide at least 40km of pure electric range, along with 650Nm of torque, while also maintaining the regular versions’ 3500kg of braked towing capacity (not in pure EV mode), while meeting coming emissions legislation.
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More info on the Ranger PHEV is expected to drop in the coming weeks, ahead of production commencing in South Africa (rather than in Thailand where the rest of the range of utes and SUVs are built for Australia) at the end of 2024.
With the European Council announcing (pending) stricter emissions regulations for all upcoming road vehicles in April this year, the future of any diesel past 2030 is looking shaky.