2021 Ford Ranger: 4x4 Heavy Duty upgraded, 4x2 Sport joins range

The 2021 Ford Ranger lineup has been given a number of enhancements for the new model year, introducing a key new variant and a trio of upgraded options.

Headlining the news is confirmation that the Ranger XL 4x4 Heavy Duty Special Edition, with its mouthful of a name and a laundry list of enhancements, will continue into the new model year.

Released in August last year for different body styles in the XL grade, the pack is now specific to the XL Double Cab Chassis, with drive provided by Ford’s 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel and a six-speed auto.

Features include a factory-fitted, crash-tested and AEB-sensor equipped Genuine Ford Steel Bull Bar, which also gets integrated mounting points for driving lights and UHF antennas. An LED light bar is also fitted.

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Enhancing its off-roading capability is a Ford Genuine fixed-head snorkel, along with black 17x7.5-inch steel wheels matched to Continental CrossContact All-Terrain tyres and solid wheel nuts.

For work days or well-stocked getaways, the XL Heavy Duty also gets upgraded suspension to live up to its name. This includes thicker springs with a revised spring rate, along with new front and rear dampers.

Final enhancement items include black side steps and a rear-view camera kit.

The Ranger 4x4 XL Heavy Duty Special Edition Double Cab Chassis is priced from $52,790 before on-road costs.

Ranger XL models get 2.0 Bi-Turbo diesel engine

For 2021, the XL range can now be had with Ford’s 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine – the same mill powering the Raptor, among other high-spec variants.

As in its other applications, the Bi-Turbo engine joins the XL range paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The new hero motor will be available in 4x4 XL Super Cab Chassis, 4x4 XL Double Cab Chassis, and 4x4 XL Double Pick-Up variants.

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Ford Ranger XL 4x2 Sport joins range

Also news is the arrival of a new 2021 Ford Ranger 4x2 XL Sport model, slotting in between the 4x2 XL and 4x2 XLT grades in the seemingly endless list of Ranger variants.

Priced from $43,790 before on-road costs, the new variant’s configuration is a Double Cab Pick-Up (a dual-cab ute with the standard tub on the back), driven by Ford’s 118kW/385Nm 2.2-litre turbo four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. No manual shifter is offered.

To earn its Sport badge, the new variant gets black 16-inch alloy wheels, and black all of these bits: grille, sports bar, bedliner, side steps, and rear bumper. There’s a SPORT graphic on the tailgate, too.

Colour options for the Ranger 4x2 XL Sport include Arctic White, True Red, Shadow Black, Meteor Grey, and Aluminium Metallic.

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2021 Ford Ranger XLT gets adaptive cruise

No longer a mere inclusion in the optional Tech Pack, adaptive cruise control (ACC) is now standard in the XLT – better proving its right to the near-flagship position the XLT badge represents.

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