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Ford has revealed its smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever – delivering an even more desirable pick-up partner for customers.
Using years of Ford truck expertise and deep understanding of truck customers, the company collaborated with customers around the globe to create a vehicle and ownership experience that next‑gen Ranger owners can rely on for their businesses, family lives and adventure.
“With Ranger, we’ve had a big extended family for decades,” said Jim Farley, president and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Company. “This truck has always been a trusted partner to small business owners, farmers, families, adventurers, commercial fleets and so many more in more than 180 markets around the world. And with the new Ranger, this is our moment to deliver. Not just a product our customers will love, but an always-on experience that will help us build strong and lasting relationships with them. This is the midsize truck people will want to own and experience
Living the Ranger Life
“We’ve really packed a lot into the next‑generation Ranger to inspire owners to do more of what they love to do, with features that encourage them to explore new horizons,” said Gary Boes, Enterprise Product Line Management director, Global Trucks. “We’re truck owners too, and this passion for the Ranger lifestyle translates into a passion for the product. Ultimately, we want our customers’ experience with the pick-up to enable and enhance their lifestyles.”
Ford calls this “Living the Ranger Life,” and it’s something shared by every designer and engineer involved in creating the next-generation Ranger.
The next-gen Ranger project was led by Ford’s Product Development Centre in Australia. Its international team of dedicated designers and engineers worked with teams around the globe to not only incorporate the very latest in Ford technology, capability and safety, but to also engineer and test the Ranger to Ford’s toughest standards.
“Our team was focused on one goal – to make this Ranger the toughest and most capable we’ve ever created,” said Graham Pearson, Ranger vehicle program director. “They put it through one of the most exhaustive global testing schedules we’ve ever developed and would not rest until we were satisfied that it was Built Ford Tough.”
New powertrain choices
Customers wanted a choice of more power and torque for towing heavy loads and extreme off‑roading, so the team added Ford’s proven 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel and developed it for the Ranger. It is one of three turbodiesel engine options available at launch. 1
“The 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 delivers,” said Pritika Maharaj, Ranger program manager. “When you drive a Ranger with the V6 turbodiesel, it feels like a much bigger truck. And it feels really tough in the sense that it’s got endless power and torque, which is exactly what our customers wanted.”
The next-gen Ranger will also come with a choice of proven Single-Turbo and Bi-Turbo 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder diesels. The Single-Turbo comes in two different performance levels and delivers power, torque and fuel economy, 1 which is important to small business owners or commercial vehicle fleets. The Bi-Turbo engine is a more sophisticated, performance variant for customers who want more power but need to maintain fuel economy. 1
“We know our customers push their Rangers to the extreme, so that’s how we test them. We go the extra mile to make sure Ranger will do everything our customers want, over and over again,” Maharaj said.
New Look, New Capabilities
Customer input was key to developing the next-generation Ranger’s rugged new look. Ford spent a lot of time with owners around the globe, conducting more than 5,000 interviews and dozens of customer workshops to understand how customers used their pick-ups and what they wanted and expected in the new Ranger.
Visually, the next-generation Ranger is bold and confident, with a purposeful exterior that shares Ford’s global truck design DNA. The design features a defined new grille, and signature C‑clamp headlight treatment at the front while a subtle shoulder line down the sides incorporates bolder wheel arches that gives Ranger a sure-footed stance. For the first time, Ford Ranger offers matrix LED headlights. At the back, the taillights are designed in harmony with the signature graphics on the front. Inside, the car‑like cabin steps up, using premium soft‑touch materials, and prominent portrait‑style centre touchscreen with Ford’s signature SYNC™ 4 connectivity and entertainment system. 3
“Customers told us the Ranger needs to look tough and needs to inspire confidence,” said Max Tran, chief designer for Ranger. “They were very clear in what Ranger should be, both in the way it looks, and the way it makes them feel.”
Beneath the new bodywork is an upgraded chassis riding on a wheelbase 50 mm longer and a track 50 mm wider than the prior Ranger. A hydro‑formed front‑end structure creates more space in the engine bay for the new V6 engine and helps future-proof the Ranger for other propulsion technologies. It also opens up the front of the pick-up to allow more airflow to the radiator, which helps keep running temperatures low when towing or carrying heavy loads.
Improved ride and handling
To develop the ride and handling expected of a truck customers use for a wide range of work, family and play – engineers focused on the fundamentals.
“We have a really wide spectrum of customers,” Pearson said. “On one end, you might have small business owners looking for very work-oriented transportation. They want traditional two-wheel drive with a single cab and a load box to transport their goods.
“At the extreme other end, you have the serious off-roaders who really push their Rangers to the limit with endurance races like the Dakar Rally. The next-gen Ranger will meet the needs of both types of customers and everyone in between.”
Engineers moved the front wheels forward by 50 mm for a better approach angle and outboard for better off-road articulation, both of which improve the off‑roading experience. They also shifted the rear suspension dampers outboard of the frame rails to give drivers and passengers a better ride both on- and off‑road, no matter if they’re carrying heavy cargo for work, or just taking the family out for dinner.
“On the next-gen Ranger, we’ve increased the tuning range to give our customers the best of both worlds – think of this as Built Ford Tough Plus – so you’ve got the capability, toughness and durability that Ford trucks are known for, plus comfort and a more car-like ride that Ranger is known for,” Pearson said.
Customers will have a choice of two four-wheel drive systems – an electronic shift-on-the-fly system, or an advanced new full-time four-wheel drive system with a reassuring set-and-forget mode, designed for capability when and where customers need it. Off-road recovery is made easier with prominent dual recovery hooks in the front bumper.
Customer-focused interior features
Customers wanted a flexible, modern cockpit that caters to both work and family duties. So, Ranger needs to serve as both a workspace and a haven, providing smart and connected features with more comfort and storage options than ever before.
“We know our customers are looking for a smart and functional interior space that feels comfortable. So, we set about designing it with a high level of well-integrated technology, clever functional storage and visual cues so the environment feels comfortable and spacious,” Tran said.
The heart of the Ranger’s connective experience is the large 10.1-inch or 12-inch touchscreen in the centre stack. It complements the fully digital instrument panel and is loaded with Ford’s latest SYNC™ 4 system, which comes customer-ready with its voice-activated communications, entertainment and information systems. Additionally, there’s an embedded factory-fitted FordPass Connect modem, 4 allowing connectivity on the go when linked with the FordPass™ app, 5 so customers can stay connected to their world. FordPass enhances the ownership experience with features like Remote Start, 6 Vehicle Status, and remote lock and unlock functions via a mobile device.
Many of the traditional driving mode controls have been moved from the dash and centre console to their own dedicated display on the SYNC™ screen. With one button press, drivers can go to Ranger’s dedicated screen for all off-road and drive modes where they can monitor the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles and other controls.
The screen also is linked to a 360-degree camera 7 to make parking a breeze in tight urban spaces or to assist when negotiating particularly tricky terrain while out exploring. In addition, customers can control Ranger’s new exterior zone lighting system via the touchscreen or the FordPass app, which means they don’t have to work, camp or do anything in the dark. Ranger technology will also be future-proofed to accept Ford Power-Up wireless software updates thanks to the embedded FordPass Connect modem.
Order books for next-generation Ranger will open in Europe in late 2022 for customer delivery in early 2023, register your interest now to be kept updated and be one of the first to test drive.The current Ranger is Europe’s pick-up segment leader and recently set a new September year-to-date sales record of 45,539 units, with market share of 39.9 percent.To discover more on the Ford Ranger, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to assist.
