Video: 2022 Ford Ranger previewed in Australian bush

The 2022 Ford Ranger has been teased for the first time, with its off-road abilities clearly on display.

Ford previewed the next-generation Ranger with a video, filming the ute taking on Australia’s bush and Outback, as well as undergoing cold-weather testing in New Zealand.

The company says the new Ranger “has been designed and engineered in Australia for local conditions, and will be the toughest, most capable and most connected Ranger yet".

More than two and a half years after Wheels first published exclusive photos revealing an early iteration of the Ranger ute’s new shape, it appears some minor design elements have evolved.

Behind the camouflage, we can see the main beams have moved to the upright position of the U-shaped headlight cluster, while the bonnet contours have changed when compared with the leaked images posted in February 2019.

A new Ranger Raptor is all but confirmed, with spies previously photographing the flagship model complete with its trademark F-O-R-D grille and sportier alloy wheels.

These teaser images show an extra-cab body, while the video features both extra-cab and dual-cab variants. Spy photos of prototypes undergoing testing have also confirmed a single-cab model will be offered within the line-up.

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Though specifications have not yet been announced, all signs point to Ford’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel Power Stroke V6 engine being available in the new Ranger – the same one that was suddenly dropped from the F-150 in July this year.

We do know the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok will be based on the new Ranger, making the 185kW/600Nm Power Stroke V6 a distinct likelihood – given the Amarok’s current 190kW/580Nm diesel V6 is one of its biggest selling points for buyers.

It’s expected the 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel will be dropped, while the 2.0-litre single- and twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder engines will remain in some variants.

While earlier suggestions had the Bronco’s 231kW/542Nm 2.7-litre V6 engine as a contender, US website Ford Authority later quoted sources suggesting the next Ranger Raptor would gain a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

The petrol EcoBoost V6 powertrain is found in the US-market Explorer ST performance SUV – a favourite of North American police departments – with current outputs boasting as much as 300kW and 560Nm. Perhaps more tellingly, the Ranger seen snow drifting in the video shares a similar exhaust note to the Explorer ST.

As Americans tend to prefer petrol, while Australian ute buyers prefer diesel, we could see a local Ranger Raptor fitted with the turbo-diesel V6 – albeit tuned to offer more power.

It’s believed Ford in the US is keen to differentiate the Ranger from the larger F-150, withholding the F-150 Raptor’s more powerful 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 – while also dropping the Power Stroke diesel from its F-Truck range.

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The 2022 Ford Ranger (and its Volkswagen Amarok twin) will be built at the company’s Silverton plant in South Africa, with the Blue Oval spending US$1 billion (AU$1.35 billion) to modernise the factory.

Officials say the production of the Ranger will be carbon-neutral by 2024, thanks to an entirely self-sufficient plant.

The company hasn’t provided an exact timeline yet, but the teaser video suggests a full unveiling of the 2022 Ford Ranger will be happening in the coming months.