Newer Tougher Ford Ranger Debuts For 2022 With 3.0 V6 Diesel

The Ford Ranger has been thoroughly revamped for its 4th-generation with new powertrain choices, a more F-150 inspired exterior and a reworked cabin, though it remains visually faithful to the outgoing version.

Though it has been on sale in its 3rd-generation form since 2011, the Ranger remains hugely popular, and Ford has rightly refrained from calling this ‘all-new’. Order books for this newest ‘generation’ pick-up truck should be opened in later 2022, starting with Australia and Europe, with pricing to be confirmed closer to that time. With ASEAN being one of the largest markets for pickup trucks, we shouldn’t be far down that list.

Obviously, the 2022 Ranger has been styled with many new nods to Ford’s larger F-150 as well as their new Bronco SUV, and this is mostly seen upfront by its larger radiator grille with a horizontal bar that incorporates the Ford badge and extends across the front to the new “C-clamp” set of daytime running lights. If it looks a little broader than before, that’s because 50mm has been added to its body width.

In profile, there might not be too much to shout about being different apart from the more pronounced wheel arches, but its new tailgate features the ‘RANGER’ lettering stamped into the alloy. Just like the front illuminators, we get LED taillights as well. In addition, Ford will offer around 600 official accessories at launch.

We’ll likely be seeing the selection of body styles, trim levels, and variants mirror the previous Ranger, including the Ranger Raptor, XLS, XLT, FX4, and Wildtrak. Also standard across most of the range will be an internal 400W inverter to supply a power outlet accessed within the load bed to provide external power while out in the field.

The current EcoBlue 2.0-litre diesel engine that made its debut in the Ranger Raptor has been carried over, albeit with some slight modifications to improve cooling - very useful in the warmest climates the Ranger will see action in. However, incoming are two single-turbocharged variants and one with twin-turbochargers, both of unconfirmed power and torque outputs.

Headlining the engine range is a new 3.0-litre diesel V6, which will no doubt boast performance statistics to shame the 210hp and 500Nm of torque currently offered in today’s gutsiest Ranger. To add a little petrol variety in diesel-hating North America, Ford will also likely include their 2.3-litre EcoBoost into the mix, slotted from the Bronco.

Ford has also confirmed the almost-all-new Ranger will be eventually offered with a hybrid powertrain, possibly echoing the US/Canada-only Maverick, but offered across more global markets, which is also likely where that aforementioned petrol four-pot will really come into play.

These motors will be paired to a revised 10-speed automatic that’s lighter and more efficient than the first go-round, also featuring a tighter set of gear ratios to improve torque distribution and towing ability. A first for Ford, the Ranger will offer two versions of 4WD in the Ranger, the first being with the more familiar on-the-fly manual mode switching while the other a more advanced, electronically-controlled on-demand 4WD system.

Regardless of variant, the Ranger now features much more premium soft-touch materials within its refreshed cabin, the centrepiece of which is either a 10-in or 12-in portrait-orientated touchscreen with the latest version of Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment software, which also runs its fully digital instrument cluster.