Bigger, bolder and tougher, the next-generation Ford Ranger has been spotted for the first time undergoing testing in the US, revealing a number of key design features.
These spy photos show Ford’s all-important new ute – which was again developed primarily in Australia and is set to launch in the US and Australia in late 2021 – will mimic the headlight design found on the larger Ford F-150 pick-up, Americanising the Ranger’s front-end for a global audience via vertical LED strips on the outer edges of the headlight clusters.
These bookend the main LED projector beams positioned inboard, adding a modern, technical look to the Ford Ranger, which is today sold in more than 180 countries.
The camouflage on the 2022 Ford Ranger prototypes are wrapped up pretty tightly but it’s clear that the front-end has a vertical, bluff-nose design like the F-150, which will give the ute a bigger, bolder aesthetic.
However, the thick vertical strip in the middle of the grille behind the camo wrap is a red herring and part of the camouflage treatment to throw the global audience of pundits, fans and competitors alike off the trail.
Generating more hype than the new Top Gun movie, the 2022 Ford Ranger is based on a new ‘T7’ platform which will be the last Aussie-developed Ranger.
Australia is one of the Ranger’s most lucrative global markets, racking up around 40,000 sales here each year to position the ute as the top-selling 4x4 pick-up and the second biggest-selling vehicle across the entire market.
Expected to be slightly longer and wider than the current Ford Ranger, the overall body shape of the T7 doesn’t appear to have changed dramatically, but underneath the skin there will be plenty of changes, starting with the axing of the current 3.2-litre inline five-cylinder ‘Puma’ turbo-diesel engine.
Instead, the base engine is expected to be the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel ‘Panther’ engine already available (at a higher price) in the current-generation T6 Ranger.
Top-spec models, including a new Ford Ranger Raptor at a later stage, will be powered by V6 engines, turbo-diesel in Australia and petrol in the US.
American shoppers will also get access to the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine as is currently the case.
All engine types are likely to be offered with the Ford/GM 10-speed automatic transmission.
Towing capacity is set to be maintained at 3500kg for four-cylinder diesel engines but V6 diesels – which could include Ford’s 3.0-litre Power Stroke V6 which is good for 186kW/597Nm at present – could have even higher towing limits.
The T7 Ford Ranger will provide the bones for the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok due in 2022, with the VW ute likely to feature the same powertrains.
The Volkswagen Amarok V6 already pumps out 200kW/580Nm, meaning Ford’s Power Stroke V6 diesel could be upgraded to generate even more mumbo.
Hybrids are also on the table as Ranger and Amarok seek to expand their footprint in the US and Europe, but it remains to be seen if Australian buyers will have access to the electrified powertrains.
Along with its butch new Americanised exterior design, potent new engines and improved 4x4 systems, the next-generation Ford Ranger will also benefit from a range of new technologies, spanning safety, connectivity and infotainment systems.
The next-gen SYNC4 infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be part of the package but it remains to be seen which, if any, model grades will get the ultra-large 12-inch touch-screen display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster from the F-150.
Stay tuned for more details.