Ford approved armoured Ford Ranger
Ford has just made approved armoured protection available for the Ford Ranger. This is done in partnership with SVI Engineering and is a first for any original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in South Africa. According to Ford, this is to add an additional layer of safety for Ford Ranger owners in the civilian market. That layer is ballistic protection.
“While we all wish there was no need for armoured civilian vehicles anywhere in the world, being able to provide outstanding levels of safety for customers is deeply rooted in Ford’s DNA, with armoured protection being no exception.” – Neale Hill, MD of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
Who is SVI Engineering?
The company was founded in 2004 doing what their name suggests but also for their manufacturing of armoured products for the military, security, and civilian markets. This is not the first car to get its ballistic protection treatment, SVI partnered with Toyota to produce their own car based on the Land Cruiser.
“SVI is proud to announce our cooperation agreement with Ford SA to provide Ranger customers with a turnkey solution for all their armoured vehicle needs. The Ranger is one of the best-selling bakkies in South Africa and this agreement expands SVI’s footprint throughout Southern Africa. The quality of the Ranger mirrors the well-proven ballistic protection and track record of SVI’s armouring solutions. Customers can now procure a fully locally-manufactured armoured vehicle with OEM support.” – Jaco de Kock, CEO at SVI Engineering
The approved B4 and B6 armoured Ford Ranger.
With the approved armoured protection on the Ford Ranger, buyers can now specify the armoured addition from any franchised dealer. There are three options available that cover two levels of ballistics protection. B4 and B6.
B4 adds bullet-resistant protection against handguns up to a .44 Magnum which naturally adds protection against hand-held projectiles like bricks. It gets this with the addition of 18-21mm armoured glass and Kevlar sheets for the body. B4 protection is extremely discreet according to Ford and only adds 240 kg on the Ranger Double Cab. This process also only takes eight weeks to finish.
B6 is the highest level of civilian protection that can be added without the need for a permit. This level of armour is made for ammunition fired by the R1 assault rifle and the AK47. By adding 650 kg to the car it gets 38mm armoured glass and special armoured steel plates. Due to the extra weight, the suspension has been upgraded as well.
Buyers of the B6 armoured Ford Ranger can choose between discreet armour or the Stopgun version which makes the armour very noticeable but is also the cheapest option. The discreet takes twelve weeks to build and the Stopgun takes two weeks.
Armour pricing for the Ford Ranger.
All armour comes with a one-year/50 000km warranty on the armouring components from SVI Engineering. The prices below are the additional cost only.
B4 Discreet
- Single Cab: R338 386
- Super Cab: R454 371
- Double Cab: R454 371
B6 Discreet
- Single Cab: R527 990
- Super Cab: R688 225
- Double Cab: R688 225
B6 Stopgun
- Single Cab: R234 413
- Super Cab: R271 163
- Double Cab: R335 202
Source: QuickPic
