Published on November 24th, 2021 | by Subhash Nair

All-New Ford Ranger Unveiled With A V6 Option

The all-new Ford Ranger has been unveiled after months of teasing and years of development by Ford’s Product Development Centre in Australia and across the world. The new Ford Ranger is being touted as the “smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever” made for “businesses, family lives and adventure”. This next generation Ford Ranger will be open for booking in 2022 with factories in Thailand and South Africa producing it.

Some Fresh, Rugged Looks

The 2023 Ford Ranger comes with next-generation looks that shares design DNA with the other Ford trucks, like the F-150 and Maverick. It features a well-defined grille, signature C-clamp headlights, a subtle shoulder line, bold wheel archers, matrix LED headlights, C-shaped taillights and more.

The upgraded chassis features a 50mm wider wheelbase, a 50mm wider track and enough space in the engine bay for a new V6. The extended wheelbase also means that the front wheels are 50mm closer to the front of the chassis for a better approach angle. The rear suspension dampers have been shifted outboard of the frame rails for improves passenger comfort.

New Ford Ranger Powertrain Options

For the next generation Ranger, a 3.0L V6 turbodiesel will be available at the top of the range for the first time. Previously, only inline 5 and inline 4 turbodiesels were offered. Single-Turbo and Bi-Turbo 2.0L inline 4 turbodiesels that are currently offered will be available in the next model too. The Single-Turbo engine comes in two power output levels.

A Variety For All Customers

Just like before, Ford will accommodate a large range of variations of the Ranger, including 2WD models, 4WD models, single cabs, king and double cabs, load boxes, and Dakar motorsport-inspired variations and more. An electronic shift-on-the-fly system and a full-time four-wheel drive system is available too. Two recovery hooks are now built to the front of the Ranger.

New Ford Ranger Interior

Inside, the new Ranger is more of a family vehicle than before with smart connectivity features, improved storage and comfort. A vertically-aligned screen is available either in 10.1″ or 12″ sizes running SYNC 4.

Features like Remote Start, remoote Vehicle Status, remote lock and remote unlock using a smartphone. The instrument cluster is also fully digital this time around.

Driving mode controls have been moved to their own dedicated display on the SYNC screen, where other information about the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles and a 360-degree camera are displayed.

There’s also a wireless charging pad, a large centre console bin, larger door pockets, an upper glovebox and storage bins under and behind the rear seats.

Diverse Cargo Box

The cargo box is now a lot larger, capable of holding full-sized pallets. There’s an integrated side-step behind the rear tyres to make it easier for owners to reach into the cargo box.

The cargo box also comes with a plastic-moulded bedliner, cargo tie down points, flexible load box caps around the sides of the box, and a new cargo management system with dividers to hold various sized items. The system uses ultra-strong spring-loaded cleats that clip into rails bolted to each side of the cargo box.

The tailgate can also double as a mobile work bench with an integrated ruler and clamp pockets to measure, grip and cut building materials. The cargo box also has its own lighting system, which can be controlled via an app or from the cabin.