The Ranger from pickup specialist Ford received numerous facets and practicality and is one of the long-running in the segment of pickup trucks. Still, it has changed a lot in recent years, with the latest iteration combining rugged good looks and off-road capability with a spacious cabin and numerous tech features.
The sport-themed oriented urban truck was intended for the buyer's active lifestyle. Hence, the Blue Oval Company's midsize pickup truck is also utilized as a lifestyle 'weekend' SUV aside from being just a pickup car. Its robust and multi-talented platform is common for both Ford Ranger and Everest, the latter is considered one of the leading SUVs in its respective segment.
Powering the Ford Ranger is either a 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre Dura TORQ TCDi diesel engines that supply high values of power and torque as well as better mileage. It also features enough room and additional space at the back for either business or personal purposes.
The double cabin pickup truck comes with on-road agility, together with its competent handling and reasonable off-roading capability with a 4x4 mechanism. Moreover, the midsize pickup truck features top-class safety features and competes with the types of Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux, Chevrolet Colorado and, Mitsubishi Strada.
Launch
In early 2021, Ford Philippines introduced the new Ford Ranger facelift in the local market, with the addition of the new and snazzy-looking variant called the FX4 Max. Similar design cues are still retained, but the new version gets a restyle trapezoidal grille and black alloy wheels for most of the variants.
The variants offered by the American car brand for its midsize pickup truck entry include the XLS, XLT, FX4, FX4 Max, and Wildtrak. All variants have the option to choose whether to opt for a 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrain expect the XLT (4x2 only) and FX4 Max(4x4 only). As for the engine option, the XLS, XLT, and FX4 use a 2.2-liter diesel engine, while the higher-trim FX4 Max and Wildtrak get a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine.
Exterior
The Ford Ranger is popular for its wide stance and beefy exterior. The vehicle's ground clearance that measures 232 mm (256 mm for the FX4 Max) gives it the capability to pass through 800 mm water deep and exudes an authoritative driving feel. Only the top-of-the-line Wildtrak variants get LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and front fog lamps. Meanwhile, the XLT and FX4 variants use projector headlamps, and the base XLS variant utilizes reflector headlamps.
The top-trim Ford Ranger Wildtrak
Ford Philippines offers the pickup truck with a wide array of body color options including Cool White, Arctic White, Absolute Black, Meteor Gray (excluding XLS), Aluminum Metallic, Diffused Silver, Blue Lightning (FX4 Max and XLT), True Red (FX4 Max and FX4), Sunset Red (XLT and XLS), and Saber (Wildtrak only)
Interior
In the Philippines, the Ford Ranger is equipped with a spacious cabin - the biggest in its class which provides a comfortable riding experience. Also, its NVH insulation has improved compared to before. It has a four-spoke steering wheel with a clump of buttons on both sides. Only the FX4 Max and Wildtrak owners get the upper hand getting in and starting their truck with the inclusion of the smart keyless entry with a push start button.
It comes with a rugged look inside and out
The gentle-touch upper layer of the dashboard, together with the thick piano black panel fixated on the dashboard's middle layer, forms a well-built and plushy appearance for the pickup truck. Various seating materials used for the cabin include fabric for the XLS and XLT variants and leather with each unique accent of the other variants.
Technology & Safety Features
The Ford Ranger comes with various features depending on the chosen. It features an 8-inch infotainment system and six speakers as standard that supports SYNC 3 infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Sync3 with Voice-activated controls is available for the FX4 Max and Wildtrak variants only. Navigation is also included for the top-of-the-line variant.
Considered as one of the toughest vehicles in the country
As for safety, the standard features include an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with an electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and ISOFIX tethers. Wildtrak variants are equipped with six airbags, while the rest of the variants come with two (driver and front passenger). In addition, only the Wildtrak 4x4 variant is installed with driver assistance systems such as the pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane keeping aid, driver alert system, adaptive cruise control with forward collision alert, active park assist, and auto high beam.
Platform & Chassis
The Ford Ranger body-on-frame truck shares the same Ford's T6 platform with Ford's midsize SUV, the Everest. In the Philippines, the only available body configuration is the four-double cab version. Depending on the variant, the pickup truck is offered in either 4x4 configuration or rear-wheel drivetrain.
Ford Ranger FX4 Max
Excluding the Ford Ranger Raptor, the Ranger lineup comes with a double-wishbone with coil springs front and leaf spring rear suspension setup. Furthermore, ventilated discs are used in the front brakes while drums are utilized at the back. The truck has a length of 5354 mm, a width that measures 1860 mm, a wheelbase that measures 3220 mm.
Engine & Drivetrain
In the Philippines, the Ford Ranger comes with various engine options. The standard variants feature a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that produces a maximum output of 158 hp and 385 Nm of torque. Also, it is offered with both 6-speed automatic and 6-speed manual gearboxes.
The Ford Ranger is one of the longest-running nameplates in the brand's lineup
As for the top-spec Wildtrak version, it is equipped with 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel is available in two states of tune - the power of 210 hp and 500 Nm of torque for the bi-turbo 4x4 form and power of 178 hp as well as 420 Nm of torque for the single turbo 4x2 form. Moreover, both of them acquire a standard 10-speed automatic gearbox.
The newly added FX4 Max further bridges the gap between the Raptor and the regular Ranger. It uses also uses the 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel, and its suspension was given a set of Fox Shocks. While that may be the case, it retains the leaf spring suspension thus providing a great balance between off-road performance and payload capacity.
