2022 Ford Ranger revealed

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 2022 Ford Ranger has now been revealed. Get the full details at the link below.

Original reveal story follows

2023 Ford Ranger revealed!

Ford Australia has pulled the covers off its new Ranger, which will go on sale locally around mid-2022.

Following countless teasers, leaked images, spy photos and pictures of prototypes snapped on public roads, these are the first official images of un-camouflaged cars to be released by Ford.

Most obvious is the striking front-end design, which incorporates the signature C-shaped headlamp clusters from Ford trucks in the US. Of course, the US will also be receiving this new Ranger in 2022, along with some 180 other countries around the globe – but as with Rangers in the past, most of the design and engineering work was done in Australia.

It’s no secret the new Ranger's platform will be shared with the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok, and while the design and engineering has been led by the Blue Oval's team, it seems the Ford crew have learned a few lessons from VW and the ageing Amarok – as it remains one of the best driving one-tonne utes on the market.

NOTE: To see all the new cars coming to Australia this year, check out our 2022 New Car Calendar story right here.

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Chassis changes, such as widening the wheel track by 50 millimetres and moving the rear shock absorbers further outwards to widen the ute’s footprint and thus improving dynamics and increasing wheel articulation, are features that could have been taken from the current generation VW.

Moving the wheels outwards has also allowed the designers to fit a wider cargo tub that will accommodate a full-size shipping pallet – something that has always being an Amarok bragging point.

CUSTOMER RESEARCH

Ford looked at many other vehicles when considering the next generation of Ranger, but also at the hugely successful current model and how it could improve on that. As part of this quest it carried out an extensive customer research programme.

“I think one of the key differentiators that was actually brought to this vehicle is the level of human centred design thinking, and really understanding the customer usage and how we integrated the vehicle in to the customer’s life,” said Rob DeFilippo, chief marketer at Global Trucks.

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Looking at the cargo tub, on the Wildtrak variant shown to media this week, there are functional tie-down rails on the sides and these are removable should you want to fit a canopy. You might also notice there are foot-steps in the lower part of the rear quarters that make it easier to step up onto the tailgate or just to access the tub.

“When we were out in the clinics, observing consumers interacting with their trucks, we noticed one challenge right away – when they were loading items into the beds many had trouble reaching over the side of the truck; others were standing on the rear tyre or the bumper to gain access,” says Max Tran, chief designer for Ranger and based at Ford's Design Centre in Melbourne.

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“So we came up with the idea of a box step, placed strategically behind the rear tyre. We mocked one up, and the response was overwhelming.”

The tailgate has also come in for some clever engineering with clamping points, a ruler and cupholder built-in for those who utilise this horizontal space as a work bench. These are also features adapted from the F-Series trucks.

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WIDER TRACK, BOLDER LOOK

Another positive of moving the wheels outwards is that it allowed the designers to create a tougher look for the Ranger, which is also something they learnt from extensive customer research.

“Customers told us the Ranger needs to look tough and needs to inspire confidence,” said Max Tran. “They were very clear about what Ranger should be, both in the way it looks, and the way it makes them feel.”

With its broader fenders, both at the front and rear to cover the 50mm of additional wheel track, the 2022 Ranger emanates a stronger overall appearance. It’s more akin to the muscular look of the current Ranger Raptor, although the ’guards have their own staunch design attributes. The sharp ridges atop the ’guards almost look a bit Bronco-like.

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The extra 50mm of wheelbase is achieved by moving the front axle forward. This has a two-pronged advantage in that it reduces the front overhang for an improved approach angle when driving off road, and styling-wise it emphasises the length of the bonnet to give the driver and passenger more of a ‘big truck’ feel.

Interestingly, as much as the new Ranger looks bigger than the current model, the overall dimensions are almost identical to the current one, with the designers saying that it will drive through the same gap width-wise and is the same length bumper to bumper.

“People have told us they don’t want us to make it much bigger... because of where to park, the tracks it drives down,” Ian Foston, chief engineer on T6 told 4x4 Australia.

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ADD DIESEL

Providing the brawn to match that muscular appearance, is the introduction of a V6 diesel engine to the Ranger.

This is the 3.0-litre V6 engine that was, until recently, available in the Ford F-150 full-size truck and this is its first application in a mid-size ute. In the Effy, it made close to 600Nm of torque and 185kW of power, but Ford Australia is yet to say what the outputs will be capable from the new Ranger. Needless to say, the potential is there to exceed those of the VW Amarok V6 – which is the only other six-cylinder ute in this category.

“I learned from customers in Australia, Germany, the UK and Thailand about how Ranger fits into their lives,” says Pritika Maharaj, T6 program manager.

“No matter if a customer’s priority is fuel economy, refinement, or great low-end torque for towing and hauling – the powertrains we’ve chosen for the next-gen Ranger will give all of them the best performance and core capability.”

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The ‘Lion’ TDV6 engine is not all-new, as it harks back to the 2.7-litre engine that we first saw in the Land Rover Discovery 3 wagon and also in the Ford Territory diesel.

In 3.0-litre capacity with single- and twin-turbo arrangements it appeared in Land Rover and Range Rover models, where it produced up to 225kW and 700Nm as the SDV6.

The TDV6 engine will be joined by the familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine in both bi-turbo and single-turbo variants, with two tunes for the single-turbo engine. The old 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine has been relegated to history.

The 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol four-cylinder engine will also be available in some markets, but it is not expected for Australia. There have also been rumours that the V6 EcoBoost petrol engine will be fitted in some markets such as the US, but so far there is no confirmation of that from Ford.

It was interesting to note that large dual exhausts exiting the back of a left-hand drive Ranger prototype snapped in some recent images from the Victorian High Country – a US-model Ranger Raptor perhaps?

ELECTRIFIED?

The new Ranger has been engineered with electrification in mind and Ford says it will be happening, but stopped short of confirming when or in what form it will take. The electric F-150 Lightning has been creating a buzz in the US and we imagine that the brand is keen to carry that over to the mid-size segment as well.

Transmission choices will include the 10-speed automatic, which is familiar from the current model when powered by the bi-turbo diesel and in the Mustang V8. It will also be the transmission to back-up the V6 diesel in the Ranger. It has been improved with a new torque converter and closer gears to make it more refined and durable.

The MT-88 manual gearbox will be available in both five- and six-speed variants, but Ford would not confirm what engines will come with a manual option.

Most Rangers will retain the traditional part-time, dual-range 4x4 system, but the car will also debut a new full-time 4x4 system that also offers 2WD mode and locked 4x4. Expect this transfer case to be reserved for the V6 in upper specification models. The V6 engine, automatic transmission and dual-range transfer case combo will make the Ranger unique in the class.

3RD GEN T6

The new Ranger platform is still called the T6 platform, but it is the third generation of T6. It’s a modular chassis to accommodate use under Ranger, Everest and Bronco vehicles, and the front section of it is hydro-formed, which is a technology Ford has employed on F-Trucks for many years now. Hydro-forming allows for more complex shapes and greater strength and helped the engineers install the new V6 powertrain.

“The hydro-formed construction is a kind of spaceframe structure, [that] completely changes how you actually execute the engine bay, [and] where all the components are fitted,” said Ian Foston, chief engineer for T6. “It’s all-new [and is] significantly different in terms of how all of the components are located on to the frame.”

Suspension is the traditional IFS with a live axle under the back, and the modular nature of the chassis allows Ford to fit the coil-spring rear-end for the Everest wagon and Raptor ute. The 50mm wider wheel track gives the suspension more travel at the wheel for improved ride and off-road ability. The rear shock absorbers have also been moved outwards to further improve stability.

The 2022 Ranger Wildtrak also comes with four-wheel disc brakes, which is a first for the non-Raptor variants. Ford wouldn’t reveal if all new Rangers will get this feature or just the higher specification models.

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ALL-NEW CABIN

Like the rest of the car, the interior of the 2022 Ranger is all-new. It remains tough and functional with a view to practicality. Significantly, the AV screen is now either a 10.1- or massive 12.0-inch unit depending on the model variant and as well as the usual mapping and audio controls, all of the HVAC controls have now moved into the lower part of the big screen.

When the car is in four-wheel drive, the 4x4 info, Multi-Terrain Selector drive modes and controls are displayed on the screen. There’s also a 360-degree surround-view camera to show what is around the car.

The screen is integrated in to the dash rather than sitting proud of it, as it was in some earlier designs. This change also came from that extensive customer research where people said that they preferred it to look like part of the car rather than an add-on.

The transmission shifter was also revised based on customer feedback.

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“The first design we showed customers was a more traditional, rotary-type of shifter. But almost unanimously, customers rejected it,” said Max Tran of the design.

“That led us to develop a new short-throw e-shifter. The beauty of this is when people are driving, they don’t have to look down to see what gear they’re in – intuitively, they can move it and find the gear a lot easier.

“Customers overwhelmingly liked the e-shifter – they liked the fact that it looked higher-tech, and many said it was a nice place to rest their hand while driving.”

The images and information we have to date on the 2022 Ranger reveal XLT Wildtrak and Sport specifications. Sport is new and will sit between the XLT and Wildtrak, while details of lower-spec XL models and range-topping Ranger Raptor are yet to be revealed.

ARB ACCESSORIES

Ford Australia is strengthening its partnership with ARB 4x4 Accessories to deliver a range of products for the new Ranger and Everest, all of which can be ordered when you purchase the car, fitted by the dealer and are covered by Ford’s new-car warranty.

It is yet to officially show us any of the kit on the new Ranger, but the prototypes snapped in the High Country were clearly wearing a couple of different ARB bull-bars and LED lights. These will be offered, along with a range of other genuine Ford accessories.

Pricing is another aspect we are yet to see and don’t expect to know until closer to the model launch. We think that a WildTrak with V6 engine, 10-speed auto and full-time 4x4 will be up around current Raptor money, that is, around $80,000.

The 2022 Ranger not only looks new, but it is all new. The chassis, the panels, the interior, the glass, the powertrains – all new. About the only things we see that are carried over are the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine and the exterior door handle look pretty familiar.

While Ford isn’t talking specific details such as engine outputs at this point, it did confirm that the 3500 kilogram towing rating would be carried over and mentioned higher payloads, something that would be greatly appreciated by users. These figures and more will be revealed closer to that mid-2022 launch date.