With other brands back in the fold of the midsize truck segment, the Ford Ranger is finally on the list of trucks being added to this class.
For nearly a decade the midsize truck segment became mired by models that had been around for a while without much excitement being added to the mix. The competition in this class seemed content to rest on their laurels and putter along with low sales that were just enough to keep the class going.
This class was missing trucks that would challenge the status quo and make these longstanding models make updates and changes to become better. Then GM got back in the mix and now everything in this class of vehicle has changed. While it seems that it’s taken a long time for Ford to get back to the midsize truck market, we will finally see the resurrection of the Ranger name in the 2019 model year.
This is the first of the names we’ve loved in the past to come back to the market and be offered with the Bronco following in 2020. With this in mind, we’ve attempted to learn as much as we can about the new Ranger, which has mostly come from the spy photos that have been captured over the past couple of months when this truck has been seen out on the roads testing.
Testing the Ford Ranger in the Winter Weather
Most recently, we’ve seen the new Ford Ranger out on the roads in Michigan testing on the snowy roads and in winter weather to see how it can handle these conditions. In the past, the model we had seen testing was the FX4, but this time it was the new XLT trim that found its way playfully through the snow.
The XLT model is expected to receive its own unique grill, but we still don’t know what engines will be found under the hood of the new Ranger. In other markets, the Ranger is offered with a 3.2-liter diesel engine but that might not be the one used in the US. This engine is offered in the Transit, but likely won’t be the one that we see as the base or step-up engine under the hood of this truck.
Numbers Make the Grade
The numbers are going to need to be able to keep up with the competition from the GM team which means we may see an EcoBoost four-cylinder or six-cylinder engine under the hood. There might be a diesel engine offered, but it might not come to the market right away. At the top of the range, we may see the twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine mated to the ten-speed automatic transmission, which could be used across the lineup.
We will learn more in the next few weeks as the new 2019 Ford Ranger makes its debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. Once we see it in person, we will get to know more about it and what it has to offer for the driving experience we want to have on the roads and trails. This is a truck we’ve been looking forward to for several months already and it’s about to show up and show off.
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