Snapshot
- New Ranger to launch locally with six grades
- Maximum towing capacity of 3500kg available with diesel variants
- Local launch expected in the second half of 2022
UPDATE, July 2022: New Ford Ranger review – it's here at last
The new 2023 Ford Ranger is now on sale in Australia, and the local media launch has been run. The Wheels and 4x4 Australia teams have both driven the new Ranger, and you can find their stories at the links below.
Story continues...
UPDATE, April 7, 2022: Australian pricing for the new 2023 Ford Ranger has now been revealed. Get the full details at the link below.
March 24: The upcoming next-generation Ford Ranger will come to Australia in six different grades, ranging from the entry-level XL to the flagship Raptor.
Launched in November last year as the replacement of the current generation Ranger, which has been in service since 2011, the newest iteration is aimed at securing Ford's place at the top of the sales charts – not only by building on the success of the outgoing model, but beating its rivals across the board.
While pricing hasn't yet been announced, Ford has announced detailed information for the upcoming Ranger, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2022.
Features
Starting out with the base XL variant, the Ranger is equipped with standard features such as:
XL
2.0-litre single-turbo diesel with six-speed auto or bi-turbo diesel with ten-speed auto |
4x2 or 4x4 |
Locking rear differential (standard on 4x4, optional for 4x2) |
Front disc, rear drum brakes |
Five body styles – single cab chassis, super cab chassis, double cab chassis, super cab pick-up, double cab pick-up |
Trailer tow body wiring (tow bar optional) |
Steel underbody protection including transfer case |
16-inch steel wheels and full-size spare |
Halogen daytime running lights |
LED tail lamps (pick up), halogen tail lamps (cab chassis) |
Tailgate with lift assist (pick-up only) |
Vinyl floor covering |
Eight-way manual driver seat, four-way manual front passenger seat with ebony cloth seat trim |
Power rear windows (double cab only) |
Single zone climate control |
10.1-inch LCD portrait touchscreen |
Embedded modem |
Remote start (via FordPass App) |
SYNC 4A infotainment system (with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto) |
Coast-to-coast instrument panel with smart storage solutions |
Eight-inch colour digital instrument cluster |
Tilt and telescopic steering column |
Moving up to the XLS, buyers are treated to additional equipment, including:
XLS
2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel with ten-speed auto |
Four drive modes (normal, eco, slippery, tow/haul) |
Dual-cab pick-up only |
Black side-steps |
Halogen front fog lamps |
Black front grille with silver accents, halogen headlamps, daytime running lamps |
16-inch alloy wheels in dark sparkle silver finish |
16-inch steel spare |
Power Tailgate lock |
Carpet flooring |
Driver floor mat |
Six-speaker audio system |
The XLT is the next variant on the list, scoring the following on top of the XLS:
XLT
2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel with ten-speed auto or 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel with 10-speed auto |
e-Shifter (V6 only) |
Electronic parking brake |
Rear disc brakes |
Three body styles – double cab chassis (V6 only, super cab pick-up (bi-turbo only), double cab pick-up (also available in 4x2 bi-turbo only) |
Body coloured mirrors and door handles |
Tow bar |
4x2 locking rear axle |
Prominent upper front grille with chrome central bar |
LED headlamps |
C-Clamp LED daytime running lamps |
17-inch alloy wheels in dark sparkle silver finish |
17-inch steel spare |
Black sports bar (pick-up only) |
Rear box illumination (pick-up only) |
Bed-liner including 12-volt socket (super sab is fitted with a spray-in bed-liner including a 12-volt socket) |
Dual zone climate control |
Embedded satellite navigation/TMC/DAB radio |
Embedded voice assistant |
Leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter |
Smart keyless entry with push button start |
Electrochromatic mirror |
The Sport grade returns too as the next cab off the rank, available as a 4x4 dual-cab only with equipment above the XLT such as:
Sport
4x4 only |
Six rotary select drive modes (normal, eco, slippery, tow/haul, sand, mud/ruts) |
Double cab pick-up only |
Dark accent grille |
LED front fog lamps |
Dark exterior accents |
Two front-mounted tow hooks |
Skid plate |
18-inch alloy wheels and spare with machined-face and asphalt black accent |
Two front floor mats |
Wireless charging |
Off-road screen |
Eight-way power driver’s seat, eight-way manual passenger seat with ebony leather accents, ‘SPORT’ embossing |
Maintaining its place as the range-topping diesel variant, the Wildtrak adds even more equipment, including:
Wildtrak
Unique Wildtrak front grille design with tough mesh painted in signature boulder grey accent |
Integrated trailer brake controller |
Exterior mirror with puddle lamps and zone lighting |
Roof rails |
Aluminium load box tie down rails |
18-inch alloy wheels painted in boulder grey, including matching spare with Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres |
Wildtrak moulded sports bar |
Power roller shutter |
Cargo management system |
Ambient lighting |
Pull-out cup holder |
12-inch colour touchscreen |
Eight-way power adjustable driver and passenger front seats with heating and Wildtrak leather accents |
Finally the range-topping Raptor, boasting serious off-road credentials with the following features:
Raptor
3.0-litre V6 Twin-Turbo EcoBoost petrol engine with 10-speed automatic |
Active exhaust |
Fox racing 2.5-inch live valve suspension and Watts Link coil suspension |
Electronic locking front differential |
Full-time 4x4 |
Unique ‘F-O-R-D’ block letter grille |
Matrix LED headlamps auto dynamic levelling with LED daytime running lights |
Full LED tail lamps |
LED front fog lamps |
2.3mm-thick front bash plate |
Raptor dual tow hooks |
Spray-in bed-liner |
17-inch alloy wheels with T285/70 R17 BF Goodrich K02 High Performance All Terrain tyres (beadlock capable wheels optional) |
12.4-inch customisable digital instrument cluster |
Paddle shifters |
Seven drive modes (normal, sport, slippery, mud/ruts, sand, Baja, rock crawl) |
Options
A number of optional packs will be made available for the Ranger line-up, all the way from the XL to the Wildtrak.
Towing Pack (XL/XLS only)
Integrated trailer brake controller |
Tow bar |
XLS Tech Pack
SYNC 4A infotainment system with embedded satellite navigation/TMC/DAB radio |
Dual-zone climate control |
Second-row air vents |
Smart keyless entry with push button start and body-coloured door handles |
Touring Pack (XLT/SPORT 4x4 pick-up only)
Integrated trailer brake controller |
360-degree camera |
Zone lighting |
Wildtrak Premium Pack
Six overhead auxiliary switches |
Matrix LED headlights |
Full LED tail lamps |
Premium Bang & Olufsen ten-speaker audio system |
Engine and drivetrain
As previously reported by Wheels, the next-gen 2023 Ford Ranger will be powered by a range of four engines across its six grades.
The entry-level XL is the only variant available with Ford's 2.0-litre, single-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and developing 125kW and 405Nm.
Also available in the XL and above is a bi-turbo diesel version of the 2.0-litre engine, now pushing out 154kW and 500Nm, delivering its power to either the rear or all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
New for 2023 is the 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel, the Ranger's first bent-six powerplant which is only available for the XLT, Sport and Wildtrak. It boasts a healthy power and torque improvement over the 2.0-litre options with 184kW and 600Nm on tap, again mated to a 10-speed auto.
Exclusive to the flagship Raptor is Ford's 3.0-litre, twin-turbo 'EcoBoost' petrol V6 engine, dropping a small amount of torque to its diesel siblings at 583Nm, but delivering a much larger kick of power with 292kW on tap.
Dimensions and payload capacity
The 2023 Ford Ranger boasts a 50 millimetre longer wheelbase and 50mm wider track than the outgoing model, allowing the 1233-litre tub to accept a Euro pallet (1200x800mm) – though tub length changes from 1544mm to 2305mm depending on whether it’s a single-cab, extra-cab, or dual-cab.
Vehicle payload starts from a maximum of 958 kilograms on the Ranger XL 4x2 dual-cab pick-up, to the XL 4x4 single cab-chassis which offers the most payload capacity of 1327kg before a tray is fitted.
Ranger Sport, Wildtrak, and Raptor variants have payload numbers just shy of a tonne, while XLS and XLT models vary from 995kg to 1151kg.
The entire Ranger line-up enjoys a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg – except for the range-topping Raptor, which can only tow 2500kg braked – while the Ranger Wildtrak 4x4 dual-cab pick-up offers the highest GVM number at 3350kg.
Safety
While it hasn't yet been rated by ANCAP, the new Ranger boasts a range of safety technologies, including:
Nine airbags including driver and passenger knee |
Adaptive Cruise Control |
Collision mitigation (autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road edge detection) |
Blind spot information system with cross traffic alert (pick-up only) |
Reverse camera (pick-up only) |
Rear parking sensors (pick-up only) |
Trailer coverage (when factory tow pack is fitted) |
Anti-lock brakes |
Electronic stability control |
Front parking sensors (XLS and up) |
Rain sensing wipers (XLT and up) |
Intelligent adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist |
Lane centering/stop and go (XLT and up) |
Availability
Ford has said the new Ranger will land in Australia in the second half of the year, with pricing set to be announced closer to the launch date.
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