US Ford to launch Ranger by the dozen
BY RON HAMMERTON | 15th Aug 2018
FORD’S Australian-developed Ranger will make its North American debut in a simplified 12-variant line-up, all powered by the company’s acclaimed 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder petrol engine linked with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
No single-cab or cab-chassis variants will be offered, nor any diesel engine, petrol V6 or manual gearbox, at least in the launch phase, according to official pricing and specifications released online ahead of the showroom launch later this year.
The off-road-focused Ranger Raptor that has just been previewed in Australia is also missing in action – for now. All the indicators are that the situation will be rectified before too long.
No power or torque figures have been published for the American-built Ranger, but the engine is closely related to the 2.3-litre powertrain employed in Ford sportscars such as the Mustang and Focus RS.
The Mustang version produces 224kW and 441Nm, while the Focus RS steps up to 257kW and 440Nm. In Ranger, the engine is likely to have a load-lugging tune, with emphasis on mid-range torque. To date, the engine has not been offered in Ranger and the related Everest in Australia where all variants are diesel.
The new 10-speed transmission – codenamed 10R80 – is being introduced in Ranger in Australia where it is matched with the new 2.0-litre diesel in Wildtrak and Raptor.
Two body styles will be offered in the US – two-door extra-cab SuperCab pick-up and four-door five-seat SuperCrew pick-up. All can be ordered in three specs: base XL, mid-range XLT and top-shelf Lariat.
Buyers can tick the box for two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on all levels, with the latter costing a $US4000 ($A5500) premium.
US pricing starts from $US24,300 ($A33,568) for the base 4x2 SuperCab, or $25,395 ($A35,080) with shipping included.
This entry variant is a basic workhorse, with 16-inch steel wheels, cloth seats, four-speaker AM/FM radio and not much else.
It has no direct equivalent in the 21-variant Australian range, but pricing is similar to the 2.2-litre diesel XL SuperCab pick-up that goes for $36,190 plus on-road costs.
The American pricing tops out at $38,385 ($A53,025) for the 4x4 SuperCrew Lariat which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, Wi-Fi, Co-Pilot 360 driver assist technologies, leather upholstery, the latest Sync3 connectivity, keyless entry, push-button start and LED headlights.
Again, comparison with Australian pricing is difficult, but the closest variant here could be the 4x4 Wildtrak with the new 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre diesel engine, at $63,990.
Ford North America offers a couple of add-on packages, including the FX4 off-road suite that includes special suspension and four-mode terrain management system that includes trail control – an off-road cruise control that accelerates and brakes according to ascent or descent.
Vehicles fitted with the FX4 package get autonomous emergency braking as standard.
Although the American Ranger will be built in Detroit and tailored to American and Canadian tastes, the engineering development was done by Ford Asia-Pacific Product Development which has global responsibility for T6 Ranger design and engineering.
The arrival of the new 2019 Ranger in North America ends an eight-year hiatus for the nameplate.
That vehicle will be joined in a year or two by another born-again vehicle, the 2020 Bronco SUV that – like the Everest sold on other markets – will be spun off the Ranger platform.
