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Euro Drive: In the global Ford Ranger, America gets a proven platform with plenty of chops
Despite departing the market in 2011, the previous Ford Ranger is one of the most sought-after pickups on the used vehicle market, with a reputation for honest, no-frills usability and its approachable size.
But that was a Ford of a different era, and the pickup market has changed drastically in the U.S., so while Ford may have seen no market for a midsize truck before, they do now. After all, trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline, and the long-unchanged Nissan Frontier accounted for over 450,000 units last year, with almost 200,000 of those coming from the Tacoma alone.
For the 2019 model year, Ford is bringing the Ranger pickup to the States. We got to drive one in Sweden to find out what Americans can expect from the upcoming truck.
That’s why Ford finally pulled the wraps off its long-awaited 2019 Ranger in Detroit just a few weeks ago, and much to the dismay of truck fans everywhere, it looks almost indistinguishable from the global market T6 model that’s been on sale in the rest of the world… well, since 2011 actually.
Not to say that’s a particularly bad thing, but it’s not the fresh new reboot of a beloved workhorse many were expecting. In fact, the global Ranger is one of the best-selling pickup trucks in every market it’s available in, including in Europe, where pickups are relatively scarce.
To find out what we’ve been missing out on, I got my hands on the top-tier 2018 Ranger Wildtrak here in Sweden, a pretty good preview of what’s to come for prospective buyers stateside. As you’d expect, there are some major differences between this model and the one that’s to be built and sold in North America, but the bones are still largely the same.
Oh Range, what’s changed?
For the American market, the Ford Ranger gets a stronger frame to meet U.S. standards, but for the most part, everything else remains relatively the same as the version across the pond.
You can read more about the details of the U.S.-bound Ranger by checking out our First Look here, but I’ll recap the major highlights here for the uninitiated. The American market version gets only a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Mustang and Focus RS mated to a version of the excellent 10-speed automatic transmission found in the new Mustang and F-150 and comes in either two- or four-wheel-drive.
The steel frame will also be strengthened to meet the demands of truck buyers stateside, and XL, XLT, and Lariat are your only options for trims. The Ranger will also come in only double cab and crew cab configurations, and be built in the United States, thankfully.
Many of the other available features and mechanical specs will be largely identical to the global version, though, so I’ve kept my review focused on ride, handling, build quality, and overall livability.
American Ford drivers will be pleased to know that the new Ranger features the same Sync3 infotainment they've become familiar with in newer Ford vehicles.
Size wise, the global Ranger is within inches of its competitors, but it’s those inches that make all the difference in certain areas. For example, both the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma are about 1.5-2 inches wider than the Ranger, and that discrepancy is felt in the interior, where the Ford feels particularly narrow. The center console has suffered a slimming down too, so don’t expect anywhere near the cavernous interior storage options the F-150 offers. This is a much smaller truck, and it feels like it.
Thankfully (or annoyingly, for some), anyone who’s driven a Ford product in the last 5ish years will find themselves instantly familiar in the Ranger, with the much-improved Sync 3 infotainment system and two-screen digital gauge display standing out as carryovers from the global “One Ford” initiative.
Fit and finish is decent, and while the genuine metal accents on the dashboard of the Wildtrak model are a nice touch, there are some cheap plastics here and there that are unfortunately a Ford staple. Rear legroom is plentiful though, and visibility is great all around, so the crew cab model makes a great runabout for four adults in a pinch.
Not a revelation, but instantly a contender
It's a shame the 2019 Ford Ranger won't come with a diesel option in America, because it proved to be perfectly suited for the European version of the midsize pickup.
No matter how much it’s gussied up for the U.S. market, the Ranger will undoubtedly feel like an older truck when it arrives, but that’s okay. Handling is taut and athletic for a midsize pickup – at least on par with its rivals from GM and definitely superior to the Tacoma and Frontier – and though I only had a chance to drive a diesel version, the turbocharged powertrain that’s planned should pair nicely with the chassis.
In fact, it’s almost a shame the U.S. isn’t getting a diesel Ranger, because the great torque and efficiency from the 3.2-liter turbo 5-cylinder I tested feels very well-suited to a smaller truck like this.
Ford’s been mum about pricing so far for the U.S. Ranger, and probably won’t release figures until much later this year, but the Wildtrak I drove rings in at about 341,000 Swedish crowns, or about $43,000. That’s no bargain, but bear in mind that trucks – and almost everything except healthcare and education, really – are much cheaper in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Frankly, I expect the “new” Ranger to sell like hotcakes when it arrives in early 2019, if not only because America’s lust for pickups is seemingly never-ending, and because for decades now, Ford has shown us they know pretty damn well how to sell trucks. Turns out they still know how to make them as well.
