The wraps are finally off. After plenty of teasers announcing the arrival of the new pick-up truck, Ford has officially unveiled the new Ranger, an incredibly important product here in the Asia Pacific as their passenger car and SUV business has zero presence unlike the Japanese brands.
On the exterior, the new Ford Ranger has perhaps the boldest front design, thanks to a high mounted angular bonnet, large C-clamp shaped headlamps and accompanying DRLs overridden by a bold, full-height grille. The range-topping Wildtrak gets fancy LED projector units, while the XLT and new Sport variants feature reflector units.
At the rear, the simple tailgate has been finely sculpted and now has the ‘Ranger’ branding stamped. Similar to the front, technical-looking LED taillamps are used. A great feature, that was seen in the American Ford Maverick compact pick-up, are the integrated steps at the rear corners of the new Ranger. Another novel feature on the tailgate of the new Ranger is the fitment of a ruler, forming part of a temporary workbench for tradesmen.
At the side, the new Ford Ranger now features functional fender air vents and continue to be a powertrain indicator (such as V6 in the photos of the Wildtrak and Bi Turbo for the XLT). A 50-mm longer wheelbase has been added via movement of the front axle forward together with 50 mm wider tracks for more stability and better off-road performance.
Similar to the current Wildtrak, grey highlights are seen to be applied to the front grille, sports bar, rear bumper, side mirrors and the 18-inch rims wrapped with Goodyear Wrangler AT/S terrain tyres in 255/65R18 size.
Inside, the new Ranger sees the biggest departure from its previous generation as well as rivals. One cannot miss the large central infotainment display, measuring at least 10.1 inches for the entry variants and 12.1 inches for the Wildtrak. Ford says moving the increasing number of driver requested features into touch screen operation simplifies the user interface, a similar step seen in the newer models such as the Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.
A large portrait-oriented infotainment display also allows more information to be displayed, especially more detailed data during off-road adventures as well as the 360-degree camera system.
Other wow features in the new Ford Ranger include a new short-throw shift-by-wire gear selector, soft-touch materials on the dashboard as well as an electric parking brake.
Under the bonnet, a new 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel makes its debut in the Ford Ranger and the existing 2.0-litre single (180 hp) and bi-turbo (213 hp) units continue to be made available. Transmission choices include an updated 10-speed automatic complementing the current six-speed unit. More details on the powertrain will be shared according to respective market launches.
The new Ford Ranger will also feature a new full-time 4×4 system joining the existing part-time 4×4 with an electronic shift-on-the-fly engagement system. Based on images of the interior of the Wildtrak, we also noticed a new 4A mode accompanying the 2H, 4H and 4L drive modes, as well as a new off-road programme switch or Terrain Management System (TMS).
As more and more consumers are moving from SUVs to pick-ups, Ford has paid more attention to tuning the suspension of the new Ranger to be more comfortable. Apart from the aforementioned front suspension relocation, the rear dampers are shifted outboard of the frame rails to give occupants a better ride on all surfaces in all usage.
The information released today by Ford Asia Pacific is just a brief on the new Ford Ranger. We can expect more details as the respective regional launches gets nearer. The new Ford Ranger continues to be made in Thailand and a new facility in South Africa.
GALLERY
2022 Ford Ranger Wildtrak
2022 Ford Ranger Sport
2022 Ford Ranger XLT
