Next-Gen Ford Ranger

Blind_Io

Blind_Io

"Be The Match" Registered
DONOR
Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Messages
24,221
Location
Utah
Car(s)
See signature
www.thedrive.com

This Is the Next-Gen Ford Ranger

The new Ranger hopes to bring a new level of sophistication to the mid-sized pickup market.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com

As usual, the US won't get the good stuff like the diesel engines and it's doubtful we will get the manual transmission, no word yet on EV or hybrid variants. If Ford follows their past pattern, they will launch with the gasoline automatic and in a year or two introduce the hybrid.

I'm not thrilled with the massive center screen replacing physical controls or the electronic parking brake and 4WD system, but if it comes in a hybrid or a gasoline manual transmission, I will suck it up and put it on the short list.
 
Ford's pickup range is looking like Jeep's SUV line. Where the Jeep Compass, Renegade, and Cherokee are all basically the same damn thing inside.
 
The more I think about the Ranger, the less I like it. The styling aside, I don't want a tablet for a center stack, I don't want "terrain management" where I have to fiddle with settings - just 4WD high-range, 4WD low range, and diff lock will do fine. This truck seems to add electronic bullshit for no reason - why is there an electronic e-brake on a truck?! Why? That defeats the entire purpose of having a mechanical redundancy - and how are you supposed to release that brake if the battery is flat? Same with the electronic shifter on the automatic transmission.

It's getting a solid "meh" from me now that I think about it. It brings nothing new to the table and a whole lot of stuff I don't like.
 
Isn't the Ranger first and foremost for markets outside the US anyway? The interest has been growing over the past decade or so, to the point where everyone scrambled to cobble a pickup together and get a piece of the sales. Renault Alaskan, Mercedes X Class, Fiat Fullback, etc. I think it was the VW Amarok that started it, bringing things like a smooth V6 diesel, 8 speed auto and permanent car-type AWD, making the Hilux look like farm equipment.

Personally I like that VW realized Amarok buyers were going to be using them for commuting and perhaps negotiating sloppy building sites, so full-time AWD was a better choice than the usual 2WD/4WD most pickups had until then.

I also keep reading that VW will sell the Ranger as the next Amarok, so I bet they had some influence over development.
 
I wanted to like the lastest Ranger, but the automatic only killed it for me. Adding more crap on top isn't going to make me like the next generation anymore.

I think the days of a no-frills truck are gone. Even work trucks from the big 3 have to have a screen for the stereo to comply with the federal mandate on backup cameras.
 
CraigB said:
I wanted to like the lastest Ranger, but the automatic only killed it for me. Adding more crap on top isn't going to make me like the next generation anymore.

I think the days of a no-frills truck are gone. Even work trucks from the big 3 have to have a screen for the stereo to comply with the federal mandate on backup cameras.
Click to expand...


The cheapest option available is going to be the Maverick. I don't think that is much better with what you don't want.
 
Perc said:
Isn't the Ranger first and foremost for markets outside the US anyway? The interest has been growing over the past decade or so, to the point where everyone scrambled to cobble a pickup together and get a piece of the sales. Renault Alaskan, Mercedes X Class, Fiat Fullback, etc. I think it was the VW Amarok that started it, bringing things like a smooth V6 diesel, 8 speed auto and permanent car-type AWD, making the Hilux look like farm equipment.

Personally I like that VW realized Amarok buyers were going to be using them for commuting and perhaps negotiating sloppy building sites, so full-time AWD was a better choice than the usual 2WD/4WD most pickups had until then.

I also keep reading that VW will sell the Ranger as the next Amarok, so I bet they had some influence over development.
Click to expand...

Yup, the two vehicles were co-developed. That's why the Ranger's gonna have a V6 diesel as a option overseas - it was a non-negotiable by VW because there's areas where that option sells particularly well, Australia and New Zealand for example.

There's bits of VAG stuff in the interior - the instrument cluster screams VW Digital Cockpit with the screen flanked by fuel and temp bars that are LED's instead of being integrated into the screen like the older design. - it looks very similar in terms of size to the one in the VW Taos my parents have.

I wonder if we're gonna get the Everest SUV here - the 4Runner could certainly use some competition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top