The Mazda BT-50 seems to have killed the Ford Ranger variant for Australia | Rare Techy

The Ford Ranger Thunder – a limited-edition variant offered overseas – may be ruled out for Australia as the Blue Oval brand dropped local use of the badge amid a name clash with new rival Mazda.

Australian brand filings from July 2022 revealed that Ford is preparing to launch a Thunder variant of the new Ranger locally.

Now the Ford Ranger Thunder has been called into question and it may have something to do with the Mazda BT-50 offering its own Thunder model.

Ford has canceled its trademark for the Ranger Thunder in Australia – less than four months after it was filed with the federal government for protection and approved by authorities.

Drive The Ford Ranger Thunder was first announced on July 7, 2022, after the brands appeared in North America, with an identical filing in Australia just five days later on July 12, 2022.

With the Thunder name registered to other Ford vehicles, including the Maverick and the F-150, it has been reported that the company may develop rugged off-road variants with electrified powertrains – either pure electric or hybrid.

Now Drive has discovered that the Australian application for the Ford Ranger Thunder was withdrawn in recent weeks due to an “applicant request”.

Although the Ford Ranger Thunder trademarks have been taken down in this region, they are still registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Trademark Database.

“Ford Australia makes trademark applications for various brand assets in the normal course of business, but these are not necessarily indicative of a new brand, badge or product plans,” a Ford spokesperson said. Drive.

Filings with Australian government agencies indicate the Ford Maverick Thunder is currently “under investigation,” while the Ford F-150 Thunder has been accepted, but there’s a chance Ford could withdraw them in the coming weeks.

Mazda wasn’t the first car company in Australia to use Thunder. Holden had Thunder special editions for the Commodore SV6 and SS utes (a springboard for the Holden Special Vehicles Maloo, the Australian Aboriginal word for thunder).

Dropping the Thunder name isn’t the first time Ford has had to change its badges Down Under.

The SUV, known as the Ford Edge abroad, was renamed the Endura here, as the Edge name belonged to Toyota. Mitsubishi also recently trademarked the Raider name, which Ford once used for its ute-based all-wheel drive (now the Everest).

While the Ford Ranger Thunder is currently unlikely to hit local showrooms, there is a chance that the variant will still be offered here under a different name – once the marketing department has decided what badge it should carry.

Any suggestions on what to call the Ford Ranger Thunder in Australia? Let us know in the comments section below.