Ford has been testing the next-generation Ranger in Oz. The new bakkie is reportedly going to be fitted with all-new engines, a redeveloped chassis and more driver assist technologies.
Spied at Ford Australia’s proving ground in You Yangs, Victoria, a right-hand-drive Ranger Supercab chassis development vehicle was being put through its paces. As reported by Carsguide it was spotted “with a significant metal crossmember supporting the front suspension under the front-end”.
Ford Australia confirmed that development of the new bakkie was underway but declined to comment further.
It is expected that the 3.2-litre five-cylinder and 2.2-litre Duratorq four-cylinder units will be replaced by two all-new turbo-diesel engines, a 3.0-litre Powerstroke V6 and a 2.0-litre EcoBlue four-cylinder ( co-developed with Peugeot and Land Rover).
The 2.0-litre EcoBlue is up to 13 per cent more fuel efficient than its 2.2-litre predecessor, with a torque improvement of 20 percent and engine noise is reduced by half. Its output is 125kW and 405Nm, however it can be tuned to deliver a maximum power of 147kW.
The 3.0-litre oil-burner is scheduled to debut in the US in the country’s best-selling bakkie, the F-150.
At least two turbo-petrol engine are expected as well, but at this point details are sketchy.
Another possible change to the new Ranger will be the fitment of rear disk brakes to replace the current drum brakes, as all of the spotted development vehicles were fitted disc brakes, which indicates that Ford will look to match the spec-level of the Amarok V6.
A special track is currently being built at the You Yangs facility to support testing for up to Level 2 autonomous standards and although it’s unclear how many autonomous driving features the new Ranger will feature, it will be more than what is available currently.