With all the hype that has been circling around Ford’s announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan earlier this month. The Ranger and Bronco coming back to the lineup in 2019 and 2020 is huge for the brand and for automotive enthusiasts.
With little-known with what the new Ranger will be the speculation of what it maybe is big. What motor, frame, and how much power are all questions that we are asking ourselves. We were lucky enough to see and get our hands on the only Austrailian Ford Ranger legally imported into the United States.
A quick trip to Gibson Performance Exhaust in Corona, California let us see something that seemed like a mythical unicorn. Through the SEMA Garage, Gibson was able to get the Ranger to mock up some products.
Upon first look, it was something very similar to the looks of the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma, but with right-hand drive. The truck looks like a truck and something that we could easily see Ford adapting to the US market.
The interior of the vehicle was up to par with today's US truck market. Nothing out of question besides the steering wheel on the wrong side.
The Ranger we saw was the 3.2-liter diesel-powered right-hand drive 4×4 double-cab model. The truck’s interior was very roomy and car like. All the features are within easy reach with a console mounted automatic shifter.
One of the most interesting features on the truck was the 3.2-liter Duratorq. The truck did have a nice sound to it when it was running.
We were able to get the Ranger up in the air to check out below it. There is no current DPF on the vehicle which would be a likely addition if Ford did decide to bring over the diesel option in the Ranger which would not be a bad idea as the Colorado is currently the only mid-size diesel option. It would also make sense that Ford follows the EcoBoost trend and places one as an option in the truck as well.
Driving the truck it feels very response with plenty of torque not to mention that it rolled coal out of the gate. All together we really hope that the Ranger will have a diesel option.
The truck had from struts with four-wheel drive, no lockers or anything could be seen on the inside of the cab. The frame was boxed and looked like it could withstand a beating, but did look like the truck would be limited off-road as the front bump stops were almost touching.
Everything underneath the vehicle is something that can easily be brought over in the all-new Ranger and we see no reason as to why Ford would not be using the exact platform. With the excitement around the announcement, it was great to be able to see this truck up close.
Not too many people in the States have been able to see underneath one of these.
Could this be what the Ford Ranger will look like once it is released in late 2018? Tell us what you think in the comments below and be sure to check out the gallery below!