Ford: Get All Your Aftermarket Ranger Stuff From Us
We’ve told you already that the upcoming Ford Ranger, which hits dealer lots in January, stands to become an endlessly customizable midsize pickup. Reports of options galore cropped up well ahead of the truck’s release.
Now, there’s more news on that front. While the usual factory add-ons will be part of any would-be Ranger owner’s buying decision, Ford doesn’t want those customers to look at another catalogue or website once the vehicle’s sitting in their driveway. The automaker wants buyers to get all of their outdoorsy aftermarket fittings from the dealer.
Announced Tuesday, Ford’s partnership with Yakima, maker of outdoor “adventure” accessories, allows Ranger buyers to tick all the necessary boxes to get their kayak rack or whatever delivered with the vehicle. Like a factory option, the added cost is dumped into their loan sum, and the Yakima parts come covered by a three-year/36,000 mile Ford warranty.
“Industry projections indicate consumers will spend $45 billion on vehicle personalization parts in 2018, according to the SEMA 2018 Market Report,” the automaker said in a statement. “Considering aftermarket suppliers account for more than 50 percent of personalization accessory purchases, increasing accessibility through Ford dealers may boost dealer business while improving convenience for customers.”
Boost, eh? This seems to be yet another plank in Ford’s push for greater profitability. It’s true, of course, that such a setup would be convenient for those who were already planning on outfitting their Ranger on Day 2. Yakima offers bedliner and bed extender options, plus all the gear needed to haul bikes, etc, to remote yet sexy adventure sites. Remember folks, it’s not really an adventure if there’s not some risk of injury. There’s also a rooftop tent for those people, like your author, who fear the presence of land sharks (bears) during camping excursions.
It’s not at all a new idea, Ford’s partnership with an aftermarket adventure supplier ( anyone in the mood for a Napier tent?), but it certainly is an extensive list.
If you’re curious, the full Ranger accessories rundown can be found here. More Yakima gear will join the Ford Accessories ranks over time, the automaker claims.
[Image: Ford Motor Company]
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Um...what?
This is just an effort to get more people into the sales floor on launch day. Once the aftermarket catches up nobody will walk over to the Ford parts counter to buy these things. I know people who go buy Wranglers and then spend another $5k on aftermarket parts. Even though you can walk over to the parts counter and buy a lot of stuff through the MOPAR catalog. The only people buying aftermarket parts through the dealer catalogs are the DEALERSHIPS upfitting vehicles to try and sell them quicker.