Ford debuts new Ranger pickup, 1st-ever Raptor edition for North America
Ford is giving the all-new Ranger pickup more performance, tech niceties, and a new Raptor version to do battle in the competitive mid-size pickup field.
Slotting in between the full-size F-150 and the compact Maverick pickup, the mid-size Ranger will be sold both here and globally. In the US, Ford’s competition includes the widely popular Toyota Tacoma, and GM’s Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, which have both been refreshed for 2024. Toyota will reveal its new Tacoma later this month.
“Ford is the No. 1 selling pickup manufacturer globally,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue in a statement. “The all-new Ranger has already proven itself on almost every continent in 2022 with segment sales leadership in 18 countries, and all of Europe. Now it’s ready for North America.”
Ford says the updated Ranger pickup for North America features a new fully boxed high-strength steel frame, with a stretched wheelbase and track to provide more bed space and improved stability, and improved off-road performance.
Under the hood, Ford is keeping the prior 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine that produces 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, but will also offer an upgraded 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 (that’s shared with F-150 and Bronco) which pumps out 315 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. No hybrid or otherwise electrified powertrains are available at this time.
All Ranger are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and an available electronic “shift-on-the-fly” 4x4 system for off-roading and loose terrain.
A lot of the bigger changes for the Ranger come with updated styling and improved materials, which is a sore spot for the current, aging Ranger. The updated exterior is more chiseled and angular, and features headlights similar to the new Maverick.
Inside the cabin, the interior features welcome updates like more storage and improved materials, but most of all enhanced tech with a large, best-in-class 12-inch portrait oriented touchscreen display. Paired with the 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, the new Ranger interior is updated for the kind of look and feel, and infotainment, that modern buyers will likely prefer. The cabin also features wireless charging capability.
The improvements are necessary as Ford sold 57,005 Rangers in the US last year, down nearly 40% compared to a year ago. Meanwhile Toyota sold 237,323 Tacoma pickups in the US last year. If Ford wants to compete in the space, it will need an improved offering versus the number one-selling Tacoma.
An improved offering is nice, but a range-topping, halo Ranger might also be a good way to gin up demand.
And this is where the new Ranger Raptor edition comes in: a Baja race-inspired, off-roading variant of the Ranger that many Ford fans have been clamoring for years. The Ranger Raptor edition comes equipped with a beefier, off-road ready exterior featuring 2.5-inch Fox Racing shocks and a Raptor exclusive 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 spinning out 405 horsepower, 430 pound-feet of torque. The Raptor version includes an advanced 4-wheel drive system, and front and rear locking differentials for improved traction.
While Ranger Raptor version has been available internationally, the 2024 version is the first one coming to North America. Ford also says its the most powerful Ranger Raptor ever.
For those interested, orders for the new Ranger and Raptor will begin later this month, with availability beginning late summer. The Ranger will start at $34,160, up nearly 20% from the current model, and the all-new Ranger Raptor will start at $56,960.
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Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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