First Look at the 2023 Ford Ranger Pickup: More Things for More People
America's interests were considered from the beginning of the development of the newest global Ranger.
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| 2023 Ford Ranger global |
Back in 2011, the long-serving North American market Ford Ranger went out of production, and the Aussies announced a new, contemporary Ranger that will be offered in many countries across the world. Fast forward to 2019, and Ford was finally feeling the pain of the old Ranger's demise in America—the midsize class was taking off, Chevrolet and GMC were jumping back in with the revived Colorado and Canyon, Nissan was selling ancient Frontiers without doing anything to keep them fresh, and Toyota's venerable Tacoma was mopping the sales floor with all of them.
Finally, Ford gifted us with a "new" midsize Ranger pickup vehicle for 2019. The problem was that America received nothing more than a hastily warmed-over eight-year-old Australian farm truck tailored for the American market. The new worldwide 2023 Ford Ranger—the fifth generation of the midsize pickup—aims to correct those wrongs with fresh looks, a more refined ride, and an enhanced interior, all of which were designed with the North American market in mind from the start.
What Has Changed With The Ranger?
The new 2023 Ranger, designed and engineered in Australia, is a significant change from the previous-generation truck. The original Ranger's sinuous, almost carlike lines are vanished. Instead, the midsize truck adopts a blockier appearance that, from certain perspectives, resembles a plus-size Ford Maverick and, from others, a baby Ford F-150. In other words, it's back to looking like a truck.
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| 2023 Ford Ranger global |
The new Ranger, which rides on a redesigned but carryover base that's roughly 2 inches bigger and longer than before, is meant to be more balanced than before, appealing to both the work truck and lifestyle populations. According to Ford, the additional length and track width will help both since it provides for a greater approach angle, off-road articulation, and cooling. Meanwhile, the rear dampers have been moved outboard of the frame rails, which is supposed to enhance ride quality both loaded and unloaded—a significant shortcoming of the previous Ranger.
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| 2023 Ford Ranger global |
Under The Hood Is It Familiar?
Unlike the Maverick and F-150, both of which debuted with contemporary hybrid powertrains, the Ranger's approach is, for better or worse, relatively antiquated. The new Ranger is powered by one of three turbodiesel engines worldwide: The company will offer single-turbo and twin-turbo versions of its 2.0-liter diesel I-4, as well as the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 that was omitted from the F-150 in our market. The only gas option will be a 2.3-liter turbocharged I-4, which will most likely be carried over unmodified from the current Ranger and produce 270 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque. It's unlikely that the diesels will be available in the United States, which is a good thing given the previous-generation diesel F-150 left us cold, and the turbocharged I-4 has been the only bright light in the outgoing Ranger.According to Ford, transmission options will include an improved 10-speed automatic, a six-speed manual, and an unmodified six-speed automatic, as well as rear-drive, part-time four-wheel drive, and full-time four-wheel drive.We wouldn't be shocked if the 10-speed automatic remained the sole transmission choice in the United States, but given that the Ranger shares its base and manufacturing with the Ford Bronco, a manual transmission isn't out of the question. Similarly, all three drivetrain options appear viable for the Ranger in the United States, especially since the Bronco offers part-time and full-time four-wheel drive transfer cases—the latter of which would be appealing to lifestyle owners who want four-wheel traction for snow or wet pavement but don't need a hard-core part-time system or never go rock crawling.
2023 Ford Ranger global
Is there an electric Ford Ranger?
Despite the fact that the Ranger was launched with diesel and gas engines, Ford spokesman Sue Nigoghossian informs us, "There will be an electric Ranger in the future." The yet-to-be-announced hybrid powertrain for the Bronco is likely to join the Ranger lineup, while Ford is also working on an electric Bronco and is serious about electrifying its truck portfolio.
"In the BEV era, Ford will not relinquish truck leadership to anybody," Lisa Drake, Ford's chief operating officer for North America, told us ahead of the unveiling of the electric F-150 Lightning.
What is the towing and hauling capacity of the 2023 Ranger?
As previously said, we don't know anything about towing and payload. We know Ford is known for delivering evolutionary gains, so we anticipate it will improve marginally on the previous Ranger's 1,905-pound maximum payload and 7,500-pound maximum towing capacity.
Regardless of what it can pull and transport, the Ranger should be a better tool for the task. The bigger frame allows for a wider bed, which Ford claims can now accommodate a pallet or sheet of plywood flat between the wheel wells, and the bed should be simpler to access owing to corner steps just forward of the rear bumper, a reference to rivals the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Other upgrades include a rear work table with an integrated ruler and clamp pockets (similar to the current F-150), more tie-down points than the fourth-generation Ranger's four, and improved bed lighting. Ford also claims that the baggage management system has been enhanced, but it remains to be seen whether the Ranger can compete with the Maverick in terms of creative DIY-friendliness.
2023 Ford Ranger
What's New on the Inside?
One of the most significant areas of improvement in the new Ranger looks to be on the inside. The redesigned, more contemporary cabin is highlighted by a dash that has a huge portrait-oriented touchscreen similar to the one featured in the Mustang Mach-E. The new touchscreen comes with Ford's Sync 4 infotainment suite and is available in 10.1- and 12.0-inch versions. Although this adds a plethora of capabilities to the Ranger, it does so at the expense of physical buttons, since several functions, like as off-road modes, are now available via the touchscreen.
Ford hasn't discussed interior space (or even shown off the rear seats as of this writing), but Ranger owners can expect a larger centre console, larger door pockets than before, a higher glove box, and storage bins beneath the rear seats. This is very normal fare.
What Is the New Ranger's Efficient Capacity?
There's no word on how efficient the new Ranger will be, but we estimate it to be somewhat better than the previous truck's EPA ratings of 21/26/23 mpg city/highway/combined (rear drive) and 20/24/22 mpg (four-wheel drive).
When will the 2023 Ranger be available, and how much will it cost?
Similarly, costs will likely stay stable, with extended-cab/long-bed trucks starting at $27,500 and crew-cab/short-bed trucks starting around $30,000.
Beginning in 2022, the new Ranger is expected to be produced in South Africa and Thailand. North American Rangers are expected to be constructed alongside the Bronco at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant. Only Ford knows when that will be, but let's hope we don't have to wait as long as we did last time.
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