Posted on 01/16/2018 2:37:10 PM PST by Red Badger
Ford has officially announced the 2019 Ford Ranger, the long-awaited return of this midsize truck.
From 1983 to 2011, the Ranger was one of the most popular pickups on the road. It disappeared as the car companies moved more and more toward oversized trucks, leaving a big fan base pining for the return of the Ranger ever since. The success of the Chevy Colorado has been a barometer for the mid-size truck market, and sales are up 83 percent since 2014. Now Ford is banking on the new Ranger as a Chevy rival and a solid alternative to its best-selling full-size F-150.
Ford has packed all of the tech and ruggedness of the F-150 into the smaller Ranger, which will boast better fuel economy and maneuverability compared to its larger sibling. A high-strength steel frame supports a mostly steel body, with the hood, front fenders, and tailgate being the only areas where aluminum is used (for now).
Ford's proven 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine and 10-speed automatic transmission provide a solid power plant and drivetrain. The F-150 will introduce a diesel option in 2019, but that will not be available on the Ranger.
The Ranger will be available in a slew of trims and packages to fit the budgets and needs of a variety of buyers. These options include the entry-level XL, mid-level XLT, and high-level Lariat series with available Chrome and Sport appearance and FX Off-Road packages, and in SuperCab or SuperCrew cab configurations. Although the FX4 Ranger will be a capable off-road vehicle, Ford has yet to announce a Raptor version of the Ranger—which, if launched, should compete nicely with the ZR2 Chevy Colorado.
Production on the Ranger will begin later this year at Ford's Michigan assembly plant, the same location where the 2020 Ford Bronco will be built. Both new trucks should bolster Ford's already impressive truck lineup, and we look forward to seeing how each performs long-term.
Ping!..............
I have a 1993 Ford Ranger, 247,000 miles on it.
About time to trade it in............
Nice looking truck!
As the owner of five consecutive Rangers -— how different from my 2011 will this new “Ranger” be??? I’m concerned that this “new” and “improved” Ford “Ranger” will be a disappointment since I KNOW what a Ranger is supposed to be. Any help or ideas???
I owned a 96 Bronco and a 98 Ranger. Absolutely hated the Bronco but lived my Ranger.
It’s essentially an F-150 Mini-me.........................
lived=loved
I’d love to see more of these on the road. Full size pickups have gotten so oversized they don’t fit into regular parking spaces in garages and lots, which leaves little room to squeeze into my little ol’ Explorer.
Gulp...
All the auto companies went ‘BIG’, even Toyota, Nissan and Honda.
They forgot that not everybody needs a big truck.
Ford remembered, now they have the niche to themselves............
BFL
That's not a Ford Ranger. It's a wannabe Honda Ridgeline. It's for urban yuppies to have "adventures" in.
THIS is a Ford Ranger:
It has been manufactured and sold in something like 140+ countries outside "The America's". Perhaps an Australian, New Zealand, etc etc truck blog might have a gent or gal that will give you their impression of it.
I have seen Proto's running around SE MI for a number of years now, and IMHO it is a looker.
I had one really close to that.
That is sooooo last century...............
I have a 1994 Ranger, the odometer broke at 99,999 miles in 2001. I'm guessing it's close to 300K. I almost bough a 2011 Ranger a couple years ago, but put it off when they announced they'd be bringing it back.
I have a 1998 Ranger,small V-6 with a manual 5spd..... only 101k...still ticking like a Timex.... 20years old this year
Isn’t the Chevy Colorado a smaller truck?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.