New Ranger due later this month

FORD Australia has announced that it will reveal the next-generation Ranger – which draws much of its styling inspiration from the larger North American F-150 – on November 24.

The company says it has “reimagined, redesigned and reengineered the Ranger to be the smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever”.

Although Ford’s teaser drip feed campaign is yet to detail powertrain options, specifications and pricing of its new ute, GoAuto understands the 2.0-litre biturbo offered in the current range will debut as the entry engine with a 2.7-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol unit possible in Raptor variants.

The other likely starter is Ford’s ‘Powerstroke’ 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 that in the F-150, develops a meaty 186kW of power and 597Nm of torque – 36kW/97Nm more than the current 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder and within a whisker of Volkswagen’s gruntiest version of the Amarok V6.

Ford says the Ranger will sell into more than 180 markets around the world, the final design a result of more than 5000 interviews conducted with owners in dozens of workshops across the globe.

The company’s engineers said conversations about how vehicles were used in different regions, and what was and wasn’t necessary in day-to-day use helped influence the development of its seventh-generation Ranger. 

“As designers, we engaged with customers much earlier in the process, spent more time with them and got more insights than ever before,” said Ford chief designer of the Ranger program, Max Tran.

“Interestingly, we found that no matter what market, our customers are doers. They like solving their own problems, and they like to feel confident in their truck … not just the way the vehicle functions but the way they feel when they’re driving it.”

Ford claims this customer-centric approach to designing its latest ute will ensure the model is equipped with features “customers wanted and would appreciate”.

The model draws much of its influence from the North American pick-up truck market, the “Built Ford Tough” look key to Ranger’s most significant update in more than a decade.

To this end, the Blue Oval says the new Ranger is designed to go to more places, work harder and offer more comfort and refinement than its predecessors.

Ford’s Ranger continues to vie with the Toyota HiLux for top spot on the Australian sales ladder.

To the end of September this year, Ford sold 34,450 examples of its four-wheel drive Ranger against 31,478 units of the 4x4 HiLux. Conversely, Toyota leads the way in 4x2 light commercial sales, the HiLux totalling 9313 registrations year-to-date against 3101 two-wheel drive Rangers.