Ford outs facelifted 2019 Ranger

FORD has announced that it will offer its premium 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel and advanced 10-speed automatic transmission in two more Ranger variants as part of a facelift of the Australian-developed pick-up arriving in local showrooms in the last quarter of this year.

The company earlier this month foreshadowed the new powertrain in the range-topping, off-road-focussed Ford Ranger Raptor that is set to land about the same time at the top of the 2019 line-up.

Now, it has confirmed that the upmarket XLT and Wildtrak variants will also be available with the new powertrain as an alternative to the existing five-cylinder 3.2-litre diesel engine that delivers 147kW of power and 470Nm of torque to all four wheels via six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

In all, the all-diesel Ranger in Australia will now have three powertrains, with the entry level 118kW/385Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine retained in the workhorse XL.

The facelift includes mild cosmetic changes such as a revised grille with twin horizontal bars in place of the current single bar, along with more pronounced bumper and a wider lower air opening.

The new grille shape is the same as the grille on the upcoming North American Ranger, although the lower bumper appears to be different to the Australian version shown in pictures released by Ford Australia.

LED daytime running lights and high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights are now fitted to the XLT and Wildtrak.

Suspension tweaks are claimed to reduce body roll, make off-road ride more comfortable and competent, and improve handling when loaded or towing.

Additional safety tech includes autonomous emergency braking as standard on Wildtrak and optional on XLT.

Pricing for the facelifted range is expected to be announced in a few weeks, although Ford has already divulged that the sporty Raptor will be slapped with a pricetag of $74,990 before on-road costs.

The current 3.2-litre XLT dual-cab is priced from $55,490 for the manual and $57,690 for the auto, while the Wildtrak goes for $59,590 for the manual and $61,790 for the auto.

According to Ford, the update builds on the strengths of the current model which is the second-best-selling ute in Australia after the Toyota HiLux.

Ford Australia president and CEO Graeme Whickman said sales of pick-ups such as the Ranger were running at record levels, pushing them to the top of the sales charts.

“It has also seen new buyers come in to the segment, especially at the premium end, which is why we’ve made Ranger more refined and more capable at an even wider variety of uses,” he said.

The new 2.0-litre diesel engine is said to be quieter, more flexible and torquier than the 3.2-litre unit that has been the top powertrain in Ranger since it was launched in 2011.

While it is smaller than other Ford Ranger engines – and many others in rival utes – the engine employs sequential turbochargers to pump up torque to 500Nm at 1750rpm.

Along with the 10-speed transmission with its wider spread of ratios, the new engine is said to make hill-climbing easier, while matching the 3500kg braked towing capacity of the 3.2-litre unit.

The autonomous braking system is said to pick up pedestrians and vehicles from crawling speeds up to highway velocities.

XLT buyers will also have to fork out extra for traffic sign recognition that Wildtrak buyers will get for free. The same applies to certain safety systems such as lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

In what Ford says is a segment first, the Wildtrak also gets semi-automated parallel parking – a system also available to XLT buyers at a cost.

An easy-lift tailgate is also new for 2019 on all Ranger pick-ups, requiring 70 per cent less effort to heave into the locked position.

The push-button start that is standard on XLT and Wildrak will also be available on the mid-range XLS.

Black is the new black in Ranger’s interior, relieved by shadow chrome trim and silver stitching.

Wildtrak also gets a new signature colour – Sabre – which is metallic orange with “blonde accents”.

Black-painted 18-inch alloy wheels are optional on Wildtrak, which gets a tray-mounted sports bar as standard equipment.