Ahead of the Ford Ranger’s official return to North America, the Blue Oval brand’s configurator for the US-spec model has gone live, confirming that the bakkie will be powered exclusively by a 2,3-litre EcoBoost engine.
For now, the website doesn’t reveal the turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit’s peak outputs in Ranger guise, but it’s worth noting that this mill makes 257 kW/440 N.m in the Focus RS and 233 kW/430 N.m in the base Mustang.
In South Africa, of course, the Ranger is offered solely in turbodiesel guise, with the current 2,2-litre four-cylinder and 3,2-litre five-pot set to be joined by a new twin-turbo 2,0-litre (as debuted by the Ranger Raptor) in 2019.
Interestingly, all 12 Ranger variants in the US line-up – the Detroit-built bakkie will be offered in “super-cab” and double-cab form only, across three trim levels – employ the automaker’s latest ten-speed automatic transmission. The pick-up truck will be available in rear- as well as four-wheel-drive.
The base model (a super-cab in XL trim with 16-inch steel wheels and cloth seats) will start at $24 300 (that’s around R350 000), while the flagship (a double-cab in Lariat trim with 17-inch alloys and leather upholstery) will top out at $38 385 (about R550 000), before the addition of options.
Furthermore, Ford in the US will offer an FX4 off-road package, complete with uprated suspension and a four-mode terrain management system. The configurator makes no mention of the new Ranger Raptor, which Ford has long insisted won’t be offered with a V6.
In 2019, an updated version of the Ranger is scheduled to launch in South Africa, bringing a new engine, updated styling and bolstered safety credentials.
