Ford has unveiled the facelifted Ranger at the Bangkok Motor Show.
“The new Ford Ranger brings a new level of comfort and refinement to its segment without compromising on the rugged capability that our customers demand,” said Brett Wheatley, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford Asia Pacific. “It represents a smarter kind of tough, and will help our customers to achieve more, whether at work or with their families.”
The interior may look more car-like, but it’s as practical as ever.”
The upgrades to interior and exterior are fairly extensive, with the new Ranger being more car-like than ever before. The exterior is quite rugged compared to the rounded appearance of the current model.
None of the current model’s off-road prowess has been lost. Ground clearance is still rated at 230mm, while the class-leading wading depth of 800mm has been retained.
Underneath, Ford’s engineers have made some subtle changes to the suspension to improve ride quality and handling.
The new Ranger also gets electric power steering, which should make the rather portly vehicle more maneuverable at slow speeds.
Engineers also fitted the new Ranger with advanced sound-deadening materials and improved insulation for one of the quietest and most comfortable cabin interiors in its class.
The interior plays host to Ford’s advanced Sync 2 in-car connectivity system, which allows the driver to use voice commands to change vehicle settings. There’s also a new eight-inch touchscreen interface, which is a massive step up from the small screen you get in the current model.
The new Ranger will be made available with four engines mated to either a six speed automatic or manual transmission.
The 3,2-litre five-cylinder turbocharged diesel is carried over, as is the 2,2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, in two different states of tune.
The new Ranger is also available with Ford’s dependable 2.5-liter Duratec petrol engine, providing 122 kW of power and 225 Nm of torque.
The new Ranger will be launched in South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2015. SA specs and pricing will be confirmed closer to launch.
