New Ford bakkie coming to South Africa – But there’s a catch

A new Ford bakkie is coming to South Africa this year, but it won’t be sold by Ford.

Rospa International, a local company based in Durban, recently announced that it had signed a partnership agreement with Autogroup International – a global business that specializes in converting American vehicles to right-hand-drive.

This means that South Africans will soon have access to a variety of cars sourced from the United States, which are otherwise not available here.

It’s a major announcement for motoring enthusiasts, given that several American car brands have pulled out of our market in the last 15 years, including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, and Cadillac.

However, the list of newcomers is not just limited to foreign brands, as Autogroup is also bringing a handful of models from companies with an established presence in South Africa.

For example, the importer is bringing the Toyota Tundra – a full-size American pickup truck that the Japanese carmaker does not sell here in an official capacity.

If you prefer something from the Blue Oval, the good news is that Autogroup is also bringing no less than three new Ford bakkies – the F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty.

The Ford Ranger’s big brother

Local motorists are undoubtedly familiar with the Ford Ranger, which is one of the best-selling vehicles in the country.

While the Ranger is certainly a large car, the reality is that it is only considered a midsize model by international standards.

Over in the States, it’s the full-size Ford F-Series that rules the roost, which is an even larger and more powerful pickup than the Ranger we have here.

The F-Series is broken up into several numbered groups, comprising the F-150, F-250, F-350, and F-450.

The F-150 is the Ranger’s direct counterpart and is by far the most popular of the group, as it is primarily aimed at private households.

The rest of the lineup is a bit different, as the 250, 350, and 450 all bear the “Super Duty” classification and are more tailored towards contractors and business owners with impressive workhorse applications.

These aren’t your bare-bones company fleet vehicles, however, as the Super Duty series still offers all of the creature comforts you’d expect from the mass-market Ranger and F-150.

As far as their size is concerned, the F-Series is considerably larger than the Ranger, as shown below:

All three Super Duty models share the same platform and have access to a variety of different engines.

In America, the F-250 is available with the following powertrains:

• 6.8-litre petrol V8 – 302kW/600Nm
• 7.3-litre petrol V8 – 320kW/657Nm
• 6.7-litre turbo-diesel V8 – 354kW/1,420Nm
• 6.7-litre high-output turbo-diesel V8 – 372kW/1,626Nm

The main difference between the F-250, F-350, and F-450 is their towing figure, which comes down to the engine and other modifications like beefed up suspension.

The 250 has a maximum towing capacity of 10,000kg, far exceeding the 3,500kg of the Ranger.

By comparison, the 350 has modified suspension and can tow a staggering 17,000kg (assuming you equip the most powerful diesel engine).

If that is somehow not enough for you, there’s the F-450, which is only available with the range-topping diesel plants, and can tow an insane 18,000kg.

Aside from its technical aspects, the Ford Super Duty also comes with an extensive spec sheet.

A few of the highlights include LED headlights, a powered tailgate, leather upholstery, a sunroof, a Bang & Olufsen stereo, a leather multifunction steering wheel, a wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, a digital driver display, and a 12-inch Sync 4 infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Unfortunately, Autogroup has not disclosed the pricing for any of the American cars coming to South Africa, but don’t expect them to be cheap.

In the United States, the F-250 sells for anywhere from $45,000 to $100,000, depending on the trim level.

That works out to between R789,900 and R1,755,000 at the current exchange rate, but this is before you factor in additional costs like import duties, VAT, and the right-hand-drive conversion, all of which will raise the price significantly.

It’s also important to note that these cars are not supported by Ford South Africa, as they are being imported by a third party.

TopAuto contacted the company to ask if buyers would be able to take their purchase to a Ford dealership to be serviced, to which they replied:

“It’s important to note that the Ford F-Series Super Duty vehicles have not been homologated for South Africa by Ford South Africa. As such, Ford South Africa is not in a position to provide aftersales support for these vehicles.”

Rospa International offers a 3-year/100,000km warranty on its cars, and the company has trained technicians who can provide after-sales support in each of South Africa’s major cities.

Ford F-Series Super Duty