More Capability To The People: Next-Gen Ford Ranger Wildtrak Takes Power, On- And Off-Road Capabilities To The Next Level

The Ford Ranger has built a reputation around the world for being a tough and capable pickup, with more and more customers trusting it to deliver years of dependable service for both work and play.

Ford has continued to strengthen customer trust in the Ranger by listening to owners and delivering on features that matter to them most. The Next-Gen Ranger takes this to the next level with a truck that offers customers exceptional towing and hauling, incredible off-road capability and a choice of durable and fuel-efficient engines.

“The Ford product development team’s goal with the Next-Gen Ranger was to deliver a vehicle that met the needs of customers  and be the one truck the world trusts to tackle anything,” said Graham Pearson, vehicle program director for Ranger.

“And to be that one truck the world trusts, Next-Gen Ranger had to excel in several key areas: stance and stability, towing, off-road capability, performance, and drivability.”

“Ford knows trucks,” he added. “We want to give our customers greater levels of performance and capability, expand Ford’s credibility on the work site, and offer the most desirable lifestyle pickup with more distinct styling, advanced technology, and comfort.”

Powertrains for Work, Family and Play

Whether a customer’s priority is fuel economy, refinement, towing or hauling the powertrains chosen for Next-Gen Ranger will provide customers with the best performance and capability.

The Next-Gen Ranger offers the choice of the proven Single-Turbo and the Bi-Turbo 2.0 inline four-cylinder diesels.

The Single Turbo brings 168HP (125 kW) at 3,500 rpm and 405 Nm from 1,750-2,500 rpm.

In addition, the Next-Gen Ranger will be available with the tried-and-tested 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol engine that underpins a range of Ford global products and is a perfect choice for customers who prefer petrol propulsion. This engine makes 298HP (202 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 452Nm at 3,350 rpm.

Transmission choices include a 10-speed auto that also sees service in the Ford F-150 and F-150 Raptor and has notched up more than six million kilometres of testing, including more than 3,900 km of sanctioned off-road racing, including at the Baja 1000. This transmission will be available on the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo engines, while the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine in Ranger will share its 10-speed automatic transmission with the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The current six-speed automatic transmission available on Ranger will continue along with the introduction of a new six-speed manual transmission for Single Turbo diesel variants. The new manual transmission was four years in development across four continents and boasts a new gear set for smoother shifts.

Ready for the Road Less Travelled

“Our customers told us that one of the reasons they love Ranger is because it’s one of the best vehicles on the road for ride comfort and car-like performance. So, retaining that and balancing it with off-road performance has been key throughout the development of Next-Gen Ranger,” said Rob Hugo, dynamic experiences supervisor, Ranger.

A 50mm track and wheelbase increase for Next-Gen Ranger has improved vehicle stability on- and off-road, said Hugo. It has also improved the front approach angle to 30 degrees (up from 28.5 degrees in the prior model) and rear departure angle to 23 degrees (up from 21 degrees in the prior model). The latter is the same when a towbar is fitted due to packaging improvements.

Further to the track increase which helped the team increase the width of Next-Gen Ranger’s tray for a more versatile load space, the rear dampers were moved outboard of the springs which makes for a more controlled ride whether the vehicle is laden or not.

Whether you’re a traditionalist or someone looking for additional peace of mind on the road, Ford is offering two four-wheel drive systems for Next-Gen Ranger. The base four-wheel drive is a ‘part-time’ system with a two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case offering 2H, 4H and 4L as modes of operation. Next-Gen Ranger is also available with an on-demand four-wheel drive system (2H, 4A, 4H, and 4L) which allows Ranger to be driven in four-wheel drive on high-traction surfaces via its 4A (automatic) mode. When selected, the system continuously distributes power between the front and rear axles for optimum performance in all on-road conditions.

Next-Gen Ranger continues to be offered with an electronic rear differential lock which can be activated via the SYNC® screen. A differential lock allows both wheels on a specific axle to turn at the same speed providing additional traction when you’re off-roading.

Selectable Drive Modes for Added Confidence on the Go

It used to be that only Ranger Raptor offered selectable drive modes, but now Next-Gen Ranger will offer up to six, depending on the variant and market. The modes are: Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul (auto only), Slippery for on-road, and Mud/Ruts and Sand for use off-road. These modes adjust everything from the gearshift to throttle response, traction and stability controls, ABS and more.

Tow / Haul mode is a brand-new drive mode and is designed for those towing or carrying a heavy load in their Ranger. Selecting Tow / Haul mode optimises the gear shift timing to maintain power when you’re climbing up a hill or deliver the right amount of engine braking when you’re travelling down a hill. Next-Gen Ranger continues with a maximum braked towing capacity of 3,500 kg with a 350 kg towball download limit.

Continuing the towing theme, Next-Gen Ranger – depending on the model and market – now features an integrated electric trailer brake controller, trailer connection checklist and trailer light check to simplify the process of hooking up your trailer. For added peace of mind, Ranger’s BLIS® driver assistance technology will also allow for drivers to programme the size of their trailer for added coverage of their blind spots.

In addition to the selectable drive modes, Next-Gen Ranger boasts a dedicated off-road screen on the SYNC infotainment system. At the press of a button, owners can access the off-road SYNC screen, which shows driveline and diff lock settings, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles.

Capabilities On Demand

More user-focused than ever, Next-Gen Ranger features six upfitter switches on the overhead console to make after-market customisation easy. The six pre-wired switches are connected to the power distribution box, and each circuit is individually fused from 10A to 30A allowing for the connection of a range of accessories.

“We have assembled a wide range of exciting accessories for the NG Ranger, giving customers the option to personalize their truck to fit their lifestyle,” said Simon Hood, brand manager for Ford trucks, Middle East.

“This is in keeping with our ultimate objective: Making sure our customers’ voices are heard and their needs are taken into consideration.”

But that’s not all. To further help customers, the vehicle has been pre-wired with circuits placed around the vehicle in locations commonly used for the fitment of after-market equipment, with two sets of blunt cut sealed circuits under the hood (near the radiator support and the fuse box) and one at the rear of the truck, close to the trailer hitch.

There’s also a dedicated space under the bonnet for the installation of a second battery for use as an auxiliary power source to keep camping accessories running.

To protect vital components when you’re off-road, Next-Gen Ranger boasts a raft of protective underbody shields for the steering, sump, transmission and transfer case. These shields are made from pressed and folded laser-cut steel. The recessed mounting bolts are protected from damage and easy to remove for servicing, and because the shields are bolted directly to the chassis they add to the structural integrity of the vehicle.

The Next-Gen Ranger is adventure-ready with roof top load limits of 350 kg static and 85 kg dynamic. And a range of cargo management solutions in the loadbox make Next-Gen Ranger the most versatile ever, from adjustable cleats on each side, to tray-mounted tiedowns and styled box rails, tailgate clamp pockets and box capping with six structural mounting points for after-market accessories. Depending on the variant and market, payload runs from 1,043 kg to 1,207 kg.

Like current Ranger, Next-Gen Ranger offers a maximum water wading depth of 800 mm at 7 km/h.

“The physical testing is on top of the extensive computer-aided engineering work the team does to ensure the aerodynamics of the vehicle work as well in water as they do on the road, and to ensure water doesn’t get into anything we don’t want it to, and that all the critical systems work on the vehicle afterwards, like the lights and horn,” said John Willems, Ford Ranger Chief Program Engineer.

“We also conduct our water wading tests in reverse gear too, because that’s what people do in real life.”