Revealed in January at the Detroit Auto Show, the U.S.-spec Ranger is coming back to North America after a long, long absence. But before the mid-size workhorse arrives at dealers nationwide in early 2019, there’s still some testing to be done.
In order to keep expecting customers up to date with development, the Ford Motor Company decided to release a montage of how the 2019 Ranger battles through extreme heat, skin-piercing cold, and brutal terrain. There’s also a bit of towing action to be witnessed at the Davis Dam, with the truck tested on a 6-degree incline.
The Ranger “shares a heritage of toughness, durability and capability derived from over 100 years of Ford Trucks’ relentless focus on engineering excellence” according to Ford, but then again, what’s hiding under the hood is more car-like than truck-like. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo is the culprit.
Be it the rear- or all-wheel-drive model, the EcoBoost is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission similar in design to that in the F-150. Power and torque are a mystery for the time being, but Ford assures that the twisting force will be “on par with competing V6 engines.”
With Dana AdvanTek independent front and solid rear axles, the Ranger also happens to be as capable as you would expect. Optional extras include an electronic-locking rear axle, while four-wheel-drive models come from the get-go with 2-high, 4-high, and 4-low. Moving up to the FX4 Off-Road package adds Trail Control technology (think cruise control for low-speed driving over rugged terrain).
In total, there will be two cab configurations (SuperCab, SuperCrew) and no less than three trim levels (XL, XLT, Lariat). Customers will be able to spruce up their trucks with appearance packages (Chrome, Sport) and the FX off-road packages (FX2, FX4).
Ford is keeping quiet on the availability of the Ranger Raptor in the United States. But then again, the carparazzi caught the off-road sports truck doing its thing in North America, which means that it’ll arrive at U.S. dealers at some point.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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