America is Ford’s birthplace and home market, and the center of pickup truck demand worldwide. So it’s seemed strange that, since late 2021, the rest of the world has had a new Ford Ranger midsize truck while Americans have made do with the old one. Ford will finally fix that situation this week.
Ford plans to unveil the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger on Wednesday.
Americans Are Getting The New Truck Late
Ford let its Australian division handle most development work for the new Ranger. The company revealed it down under in late 2021 (pictured above).
That means we already know a good deal of what to expect from Ford’s next midsize truck. Assuming the bodywork has stayed the same worldwide, it’s bigger and boxier than the truck it replaces. A more upright grille and less angular hood align the look with its F-150 big brother and Maverick little brother. New deep character lines low on the doors let the middle sibling stand apart.
Inside, a portrait-mounted touchscreen dominates a simple dashboard. But real knobs and buttons keep climate and volume control from being too complicated.
Overseas, buyers get two diesel engine options. But we don’t expect either to come stateside. The existing turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine seems likely to carry over – its 270 horsepower gives it a nice balance of power and fuel economy. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a hybrid powertrain as well to try to keep up with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma that appears a week later.
Ranger Raptor Coming, Too
Ford will also reportedly answer enthusiasts’ demands with a Ranger Raptor off-road model. In keeping with Raptor tradition, that model is likely all about suspension upgrades. Flared fenders, off-road tries, added ground clearance and beefed-up suspension are givens. A V8 engine is highly unlikely, but the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 Ford uses in some Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models would make sense.
The Ranger has fallen strangely out of focus in the Ford lineup. Most months, it’s now the slowest-selling truck on the Ford lot. The Tacoma still has a chokehold on midsize truck sales in America, and Ford’s middle truck has fallen behind even the Jeep Gladiator several times in recent months. An upgrade seems overdue. Stay tuned for the details.
