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This article is a compilation, with the original English text and images from caradvice.com.au

Today, the automotive industry is entering an eventful period. With the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the financial situation of companies is worsening, and many planned electrification and automation processes have been significantly delayed. In addition, as market demand and sales have changed, car companies have made changes to their executive teams. CarAdvice recently spoke with Ford executive Andrew?Birkic.

Andrew Birkic, who has been at the helm of Ford Australia for a little more than a month now but has been associated with the brand's blue oval logo for more than 26 years, discusses his feelings about his new role.

In addition, CarAdvice consulted with? the former global brand manager for Ford Ranger models about plans for the V6 Ford Ranger?Raptor and the chances of Ford Explorer, F-Series and other models returning to Australian showrooms.

Here's the interview

CarAdvice: How does it feel for you to take over as president of Ford Australia at this particular point in time?

Andrew Birkic: It's been a wonderful experience, I've been with Ford for over 26 years and frankly I never thought I'd be in the position I'm in. So it's an honor and a privilege to be in this position, but it's also something that I have to take very seriously. I've really enjoyed my time at Ford, and I truly believe that Ford is a great company and we have a great history, and that's what I love about it. In fact, Ford is home to me.

I really like the fact that we manufacture globally, we make things, and ...... also figure out ways to help (the company) deal with the new crown crisis (Ford makes masks and other medical aids in the U.S.).

CarAdvice:Within the past decade, Ford has gone through a number of global heads. Where were you in your position and where were you during the transition period at Ford when Alan?Mulally was at the helm?

Andrew Birkic: I was in China and Australia. For someone with no automotive background, Alan Mulally was incredibly influential at Ford, and it was a really tough time (during the 2008-2009 global economic crisis), but he never showed arrogance or complacency. I think Mulally was definitely a blessing for Ford.

CarAdvice:How do you feel about the transition from being responsible for Ford Ranger's global business to now running Ford's Australian business?

Andrew Birkic: First of all, I love my new job. Whenever I see someone driving a Ford Ranger, I look at them and I try to find out what they do. If they're driving a Toyota Hilux, I'll ask them why they chose that Toyota, I'm always so obsessed with my job. In fact, the job of global brand manager for Ford Ranger is a very difficult one, in the sense that the difficulty comes from globalization, a term that sounds a bit "generic" because it doesn't involve anything as concrete as nuts and bolts.

We had more than 2,000 engineers and designers working on it, but I'm really glad I was fortunate enough to be able to take on the role of global brand manager, and I also traveled to a Brazilian farm to see how they use trucks in Vietnam (to compare it with cars). Now I'm the head of Ford Australia, which is a much broader role, but it's also a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to incorporate my Ford experience and insights from certain roles into my new job.

CarAdvice:? When the next-generation Ford Ranger went on sale in 2011, there were significant changes from the previous-generation Ford Ranger, which was released 17 years ago. So, will the next-generation Ford Ranger have iterative changes or is it just a product upgrade?

Andrew?Birkic: I'm sorry I can't give too many details, but I can share with you the thinking and approach to the model. We have strong corporate heritage and history with strong roots. We sell the Ford Ranger in more than 180 markets, and in some of those markets, we sell very well. So, all in all, I think our secret sauce is that we know where we came from and we're not complacent at all.

There are very few conferences I've been to where people say, "That's good enough". We've had to push ourselves forward, and frankly, that's the core of Ford's thinking, which is how to make ourselves better. I think the competition has raised the bar, and there are some really good competitors. As a result, the market won't allow you to be complacent, and today's users are well educated.

CarAdvice:For the past three years, the Ford Ranger has been the second best-selling model after the Toyota Helix. But over the past eight months, the Ford Ranger has dwarfed the Toyota Hilux's sales performance in the double-cab 4x4 vehicle category. So, will the Ford Ranger be the best-selling vehicle in the future? Are you happy with its current ranking (second best-selling model)?

Andrew?Birkic: As you know, we're doubly proud of the sales victory in the 4x4 category. Personally, I think it's an accomplishment that the team has achieved. I think our approach is - we need to continue to invest in special models. I think we've done a good job of connecting emotionally with our owners and the public. We've delivered a vehicle that we've called our own, and we've invested a lot in all aspects of it to do that.

When you talk about towing capacity, suspension and ride, we've just released a model with a heavy-duty suspension, the Ford Ranger?XL; however, it's hard for us to do everything because some people want a luxury experience and don't want chunkiness.

CarAdvice:Does Ford plan to extend warranties beyond five years?

Andrew?Birkic: Ford just recently extended the warranty to five years. As it stands now, there will be no changes.

CarAdvice:If the Ford Ranger?Raptor?is equipped with tires that are more focused on on-road use, because these Bertram tires are very good on dry land, asphalt and off-road, but they are a bit of an overhang when driving on wet pavement. Will a tire with the same configuration for highway use be developed in the future?

Andrew Birkic: I still think the Ford Ranger Raptor handles very well in both on- and off-road driving conditions. Looking at the package we have now, we really weighed the pros and cons. We had to make sure that we evaluated it based on what the customer wanted, and that we delivered a vehicle that still had the full performance of the Ford DNA.

We are always open to suggestions and will look at them carefully, but we still think that Ford's product package is also excellent.

CarAdvice:Let's pick and choose some of these questions to which we can get abbreviated answers. Of course, you're welcome to give detailed answers as well. Can you tell us if the Ford Ranger?Raptor?V8 is on track for production?

Andrew?Birkic: Thank you for asking this question, unfortunately there is nothing to share at this time.

CarAdvice:Isn't it dangerous for Ford, or any automaker, to be overly reliant on one model? Don't you think it takes a combination of models to achieve success?

Andrew Birkic: I think the Ford Ranger is a great product, and we're thrilled with the sales performance of that model. I mean, it's a good start. What we need to do is to continue to invest in the SUV segment, for example: the Ford Puma is a very good urban SUV, and I think it will play an important role when it is added to the portfolio. I think we should capitalize on the market opportunity to market this model to new Ford customers. We think the company can use this as a way to take on more new Ford customers. Similarly, the Ford Escape five-seat family edition SUV will play the same role.

CarAdvice:Based on our assessment, sales of Ford's Endura five-seat SUV have not been as successful as you might have hoped. Australian customers have not yet adapted to seeing the Endura as an alternative to the Ford Territory seven-seat SUV. We realize there will be difficulties in developing a business case for certain right-hand drive vehicles, however, given the speculation about the new Ford Global Platform, does this pave the way for an eventual return of the Ford Explorer to the Australian market? Would you like to see the Ford Explorer return to the Australian market in some form at some point in the future?

Andrew?Birkic: I genuinely have no comment on that question. We're looking at the Ford portfolio, we have a robust product planning process, and we're looking at global market opportunities. At the end of the day, we need to make business decisions. But in terms of future model offerings, based on the position I'm in, I really have no comment and I apologize.

CarAdvice:We understand your reticence to say whether Ford has plans to launch the Explorer in Australia. But would you personally like to see the Ford Explorer on the Australian market? Personally, would you like to see this model go on sale in Australia?

Andrew?Birkic: I want Ford to have a range of successful products and I want Ford's models to be closely aligned with consumer trends to keep the company ahead of the curve.

CarAdvice:If the Ford Explorer went on sale in Australia, do you think it would do well?

Andrew?Birkic: For these kinds of assumptions, it's better to let the market answer that question.

From the Q&A, it's clear that the essence of Ford's success as a century-old company is to stay in touch with consumers, understand their needs, and strike an optimal balance between its own product features and heritage and the needs of consumers. In addition, Ford has a "humble" attitude to continuous self-improvement. As the new head of Australia, Andrew Birkic will no doubt continue to build on Ford's legacy.

However, he has unfortunately remained tight-lipped when it comes to the planning of Australian models. We can only look forward to Andrew Birkic's future initiatives, and hope that he can lead Ford to deliver the kind of product that consumers expect in Australia.

This article was written by the author of Automobile House, and does not represent the views of Automobile House.