Ford previews new Ranger, six-cylinder?

FORD Australia has given the world its first official look at the new-generation Ranger pick-up truck confirming a late 2021 debut and 2022 local launch.

Previewed in a 79-second promotional YouTube video, Ford’s test pilots can be seen putting multiple – super and dual-cab – camouflaged Ranger development mules through their paces in some of the toughest environments Australia (desert, dried river bed, rocky escarpments) and New Zealand (snow) have to offer.

The moniker for the video is ‘#NextGenRanger: Tested to the Extreme’ which is fitting given almost every shot shows the test mules either going sideways, scrambling up something or lifting a wheel on the way back down.

It is hard to ascertain many specifics of the new model from the video given how heavily the test mules are wrapped in camo but it looks to have a similar front light signature to the latest F150, in keeping with the current trend of making utes look more like their bigger US cousins as per the new Navara and Titan, HiLux and Tundra.

The other big takeaway is what sounds to be the inclusion of a six-cylinder engine, a petrol one at that.

In the brief few seconds where the hype music is muted, there’s a quick snippet of pure engine noise and judging by its rather muffled high-revving note, we reckon it is a turbocharged petrol, pointing to the force-fed 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 available Stateside in the F150.

When applied to the F150, the twin-turbo bent six churns out 242kW of power and 542Nm of torque; more than enough to see the new Ranger take the crown as Australia’s most athletic ute.

Bigger 3.5-litre versions are also offered in the US, elevating outputs well beyond the 280kW/600Nm mark but these are unlikely to get a start Down Under.

The other likely starter here would have to be the ‘Powerstroke’ 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 that in F150 guise, develops a healthy 186kW/597Nm – 36kW/97Nm more than the current 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-banger anticipated to carry over as the primary powerplant given the Ranger’s workhorse roots and intent.

Despite the left-hand-drive development cars, Ford Australia said in a statement that the new Ranger “has been designed and engineered in Australia for local conditions” and will be “the toughest, most capable and most connected Ranger yet”.

“With superior off-road credentials paired with Ford’s dynamic driving DNA, the Next-Generation Ranger will be the perfect vehicle for work, family, and play,” the statement said.

“This is not just a Built Ford Tough truck; it is the smartest and most versatile Ranger yet.”

This all bodes well for Volkswagen and its new-generation Amarok, which as previously reported, will be based on the new Ranger with the pair to be split by “custom designs and interfaces”.

For reference, the current Amarok is offered with either a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine good for up to 132kW/420Nm or a twin-turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V6 developing up to 190kW/580Nm.

It remains to be seen when the first new Amarok images emerge but in the meantime, Ford says more updates on the Ranger will follow shortly with interested customers now able to register their interest and sign up for updates.