Global Ford Ranger

[kscarbel2]

 

[kscarbel2]

Ford Ranger interior spied during testing

Automotive News  /  September 26, 2017

The interior of the 2019 Ford Ranger may look similar to that of the midsize pickup now sold in markets outside the U.S.

Spy photos of a camouflaged Ranger testing in Colorado show a small infotainment screen flanked by a series of buttons. Underneath the screen are more buttons with two dials for volume and radio tuning.

It's a design used on Rangers sold in Australia and other markets. The automaker also offers larger touch screens depending on the trim.

The U.S. prototype's center console between the seats was not visible because of testing equipment.

It's unclear how much of the prototype's interior design will carry over to production models. Ford traditionally does not comment on future products or camouflaged vehicles in spy photos.

The photos also show more of the front grille than previous spy shots, with what appears to be Ford's standard tribar grille design.

The spy photos also appear to show a more aggressive exterior design with a front skid plate and tow hooks mounted in the front bumper, suggesting Ford could offer an FX4 off-road package.

Ford this year reintroduced an FX4 package for its redesigned 2018 Expedition SUV. Previous spy photos also suggest Ford will offer a Ranger Raptor variant.

It's unclear what engine options the Ranger will have, but the engines are expected to be paired with Ford's new 10-speed transmission, which the automaker is rolling out across its lineup.

Ford in January confirmed plans to revive the Ranger after years of rumors, with production of the 2019 model beginning late next year at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. It will compete in a segment that includes the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Toyota Tacoma.

Ford last sold the Ranger in the U.S. in 2012, but it continues to build and sell it globally.

Photo gallery - http://www.autonews.com/article/20170926/OEM04/170929846/2019-ranger-ford-spy-photo-interior

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[kscarbel2]

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[Timmyb]

I hope the USA will get the ranger... and put a v8 in it. I feel we are missing a v8 ute down here now days. 

[Maxidyne]

Highly unlikely- Ford's current V8s with their overhead cams are simply too wide. I've heard the EcoBeast V6 will be an option, and it's 400+ horses should be more than enough for a Ranger!

[kscarbel2]

Ford Ranger (finally) returns to US market

Michael Martinez, Automotive News  /  January 14, 2018

Ford aims Ranger at pickup buyers who want smaller, simpler package

DETROIT -- After an eight-year hiatus, Ford Motor Co. is re-entering the midsize pickup segment with the 2019 Ford Ranger, which offers truck buyers some of the features and benefits they could get in an F-150 but with fewer customization options, a smaller footprint and lower price tag.

The revived Ranger, which will be made in Michigan and go on sale next year, has a similar architecture to the pickup Ford sells in dozens of markets overseas, but its design and powertrain have been developed specifically for U.S. buyers. Ford, which plans to formally introduce the Ranger at the Detroit auto show on Sunday, will offer only one engine option: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The latest Ranger has a mostly steel body, rugged axles from Dana Inc. and an exterior design similar to its larger F-series counterparts. During development, it went through the same torture tests as the F-150.

"This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," said Todd Eckert, Ford trucks marketing manager. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here."

The Ranger will include a host of new technology, such as a standard 4G-connected Wi-Fi hot spot, FordPass Connect and pre-collision assist technology as well as a number of other optional driver-assist features.

It will come in three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat. Ford will sell two-door SuperCab and four-door SuperCrew configurations.

An off-road FX4 package will be offered across all trims. That will give drivers the terrain-management system first offered on the F-150 Raptor that includes four drive modes: normal, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts and sand. The package also includes a new "trail control," which acts as an off-road cruise control by accelerating or braking to maintain a set speed while traversing gravel or mountain trails. It's an extension of the automaker's hill-descent control, which controls braking on steep grades. The FX4 package will come with standard automatic emergency braking.

The Ranger also will have a blind-spot information system with sensors that can extend their line of sight to the back of a trailer up to 33 feet long. The system will be standard on the XLT and Lariat trims.

The exterior will include frame-mounted steel bumpers as well as the Ranger's name prominently stamped into the tailgate and some grille designs. The interior includes an 8-inch touch screen as well as two LCD screens in the instrument cluster. The rear seats offer waterproof underseat storage.

Ford said it expects the Ranger to have best-in-class payload capacity but wouldn't divulge any details on power, fuel economy, dimensions or weight.

While the U.S. midsize pickup market peaked years ago -- at 1.32 million in 1986 -- it has staged a modest rally in recent years, yet remains small, with the introduction of revived models from General Motors. U.S. sales in the segment haven't topped 1 million since 2000 or 500,000 since 2007.

The Ranger was always among the segment's top sellers, including No. 1 as recently as 2004. During the 1990s, Ranger sales routinely totaled more than 300,000 units a year before fading in the 2000s.

Ford hopes to recapture some of the midsize pickup buyers it abandoned when it closed the St. Paul, Minn., plant that built the previous-generation Ranger. It also aims to conquest from other brands, woo some F-150 buyers — though not too many, and only if they otherwise would have defected to a rival brand — and even snatch sales from small crossovers and sedans.

It wants the Ranger to add to its strong overall pickup sales; the full-size F series has been the nation's best-selling pickup for 41 straight years.

"We see an opportunity," Eckert said. "It's one thing to get on top, but it's also about staying on top."

Photo gallery -

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CA&Date=20180114&Category=DETROIT_AUTO_SHOW&ArtNo=114009999&Ref=PH&Profile=1115

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[kscarbel2]

No diesel option and no manual transmission. Bob, as predicted, Ford ruined the global Ranger for the US market.

I'm a U.S. buyer, and this truck was not "developed specifically" for me.

"This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," said Todd Eckert, Ford trucks marketing manager. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here."

Mr. Eckert, you should have brought over the global Ranger. You completely don't understand this product, nor the US market for it.

[kscarbel2]

 

[Jamaican Bulldog]

1 hour ago, kscarbel2 said:

No diesel option and no manual transmission. Bob, as predicted, Ford ruined the global Ranger for the US market.

I'm a U.S. buyer, and this truck was not "developed specifically" for me.

"This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," said Todd Eckert, Ford trucks marketing manager. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here."

Mr. Eckert, you should have brought over the global Ranger. You completely don't understand this product, nor the US market for it.

As a Ford salesman  who handles commercial vehicle sales too there are areas where I agree and disagree with you. We gladly welcome the Ranger back.

Where I disagree:

Todd Eckert lobbied for years to bring back the Ranger. I think he understands the U.S market a lot more than his boss Mr Hassert. Like you, I also like manual shift but in the last years of the previous Ranger and previous generation F series the take rate for manuals were very low. The reality is that many people don't know or care to drive sticks anymore. The automatics have become more efficient  and have higher towing capability than the sticks. An automatic is also easier to integrate with the rest of the components of the car such as terrain management and features that will soon be mandated on every car such as stop/start systems or auto braking and accident avoidance systems. Manual shift are not in high demand in the U.S like the rest of global markets.

A similar thing with the diesel. Even in the heavier super duty Ford F series we have a higher take rate for gas engines than diesels. Apart from diesel fuel being more expensive than gas in many markets, many customers do not justify the extra upfront costs for the diesel engine over the probable fuel savings with a diesel. Some are still turned off from high maintenance costs associated with diesels after the 7.3. Fuel  prices are often much higher in most countries that prefer diesels. A viable diesel engine in the U.S Ranger would have to be one that is not too much of an expensive upgrade and significant fuel savings without much sacrifice of performance.

I don't think the Ranger was ruined for the U.S market.

In many markets where the Ranger is sold the F-150 is not, unless individually imported. So the Ranger comes in more varieties in those markets and grew in size over the years. The U.S market has a larger preference for full size pick ups while other markets don't. 

Where I agree with you:

While Ford may be afraid to cannibalize sales and thus profits from the larger F-150, they grossly underestimated the demand for small pick up trucks and allowed the older Ranger to slowly die due with no updates in years. As they have found out after missing out for years, not everyone wants a bigger truck even if the costs are close. The older ones are still in high demand and its surprising how much an older one even with high mileage can sell for. Believe it or not most customers we have wanted back that older Ranger size not the size of the new one.

There is still a market in the U.S for a regular cab basic small pick-up even with a normally aspirated gas engine such as Ford's reliable 2.5 liter. But there is no regular cab variant or that engine to be offered here.

I also hope the new Ranger will be able to plow.

 

[kscarbel2]

I suggest, the demand for a manual transmission option in the Ranger segment is entirely different from the F-150 segment.

The biggest deal breaker is the lack of the 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel and 3.2L 5-cylinder diesel (known to Americans by way of the U.S. market full-size Transit). That the truck has but one engine, in North America, is shocking.

The fact that it isn't available with the standard cab and long bed means they don't care about the commercial segment.

I was planning to purchase a US market diesel Ranger and Everest in the 2019-2020 period (whenever they launched). WIthout the diesel option, that plan is firmly cancelled.

[Maxidyne]

I'm underwhelmed... Good to see the Ranger back, but with such limited powertrain options and cargo capability, I won't be buying one.

[kscarbel2]

Can Ranger crash GM's midsize pickup party?

Michael Martinez, Automotive News  /  January 15, 2017

DETROIT — If General Motors struck gold by reviving the Colorado and Canyon midsize pickups four years ago, then Ford had better hope that mine isn't tapped out by the time the Ranger reaches dealerships early next year.

The segment exploded in popularity this decade — it has surged 78 percent since 2014 — but that growth appears to be running out of steam. Last year's U.S. sales of 452,335 midsize pickups were less than 1 percent more than the year prior, and IHS Markit doesn't expect the segment to top 480,000 sales through 2025.

"Ford is late to the party," Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader, said in an interview. "The question is: Is there room for yet another entry, or has the growth in that segment peaked? It's quite possible that it has."

Still, Ford believes next year is the right time to resurrect the Ranger nameplate, which was discontinued for U.S. buyers in 2011 while remaining in many global markets. Officials are positioning the pickup as a lifestyle vehicle that appeals to younger, active buyers who may not want the herculean hauling capabilities — and higher price tag — of a full-size F-150.

"It's really just not about growth and the segment size itself; it's about some of the dynamics that are happening within full-size," Todd Eckert, Ford's truck marketing manager, told reporters this month. "As transaction prices continue to grow, we see more of an opportunity than we did, say, five years ago, to bring in a midsize pickup ... and really get to that entry-level buyer, who's a very different customer."

The Ranger, which Ford planned to unveil Sunday, Jan. 14, at the Detroit auto show, will differ significantly from the F-150.

It has a mostly steel body, eschewing the aluminum diet the F series, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator have undergone.

Instead of the multitude of powertrain options on the F-150, the Ranger will come with one: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

It includes rugged front and rear differentials from Dana Inc., which also supplies the Jeep Wrangler. An available electronic-locking rear differential should give the vehicle better off-road maneuverability than its bigger brother.

"These buyers have a work/play lifestyle that requires something of a different scale," Eckert said.

Architecturally, the Ranger will differ little from the version sold outside the U.S., but it will be built in Michigan with parts sourced in North America.

Interior and exterior designs have been changed to give the truck a more rugged look for U.S. buyers.

"This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," Eckert said. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here."

It will have lots of new technology, such as a standard 4G connected Wi-Fi hotspot, FordPass and precollision assist, as well as other optional driver-assist features.

It will come in three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat. Ford will sell two-door SuperCab and four-door SuperCrew configurations.

An off-road FX4 package will be offered across all trims. That will give drivers the terrain-management system first offered on the F-150 Raptor that includes four drive modes: normal, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, and sand. The package also includes a new "trail control," which acts as an off-road cruise control by accelerating or braking to maintain a set speed while traversing gravel or mountain trails. It's an extension of the automaker's hill-descent control, which controls braking on steep grades. The FX4 package will also come with standard automatic emergency braking.

The Ranger also will have a blind-spot information system with sensors that can extend their line of sight to the back of a trailer up to 33 feet long. The system will be standard on the XLT and Lariat trims.

The interior includes an 8-inch touch screen, as well as two liquid crystal display screens in the instrument cluster. The rear seats offer waterproof underseat storage.

Ford said it expects the Ranger to have best-in-class payload capacity but declined to give details on power, fuel economy, dimensions or weight.

The company hopes to recapture some of the midsize pickup buyers it abandoned when it closed the St. Paul, Minn., plant that built the previous-generation Ranger. It also aims to conquest from other brands, woo some F-150 buyers — though not too many, and only if they otherwise would have defected to a rival brand — and even snatch sales from small crossover and sedan buyers.

It wants the Ranger to add to its strong overall pickup sales; its full-size F series has been the nation's best-selling pickup for 41 straight years.

"We see an opportunity," Eckert said. "It's one thing to get on top, but it's also about staying on top."

[Hayseed]

On 1/15/2018 at 1:07 PM, kscarbel2 said:

I suggest, the demand for a manual transmission option in the Ranger segment is entirely different from the F-150 segment.

The biggest deal breaker is the lack of the 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel and 3.2L 5-cylinder diesel (known to Americans by way of the U.S. market full-size Transit). That the truck has but one engine, in North America, is shocking.

The fact that it isn't available with the standard cab and long bed means they don't care about the commercial segment.

I was planning to purchase a US market diesel Ranger and Everest in the 2019-2020 period (whenever they launched). WIthout the diesel option, that plan is firmly cancelled.

I too find It bizarre that you guys don't get; Diesel Engines, Manual transmissions, or the Single Cab versions..

here, We no longer get the Petrol motor. 

But the little single Cabs make up a sizable portion of Sales..

 

https://www.motoring.com.au/ford-ranger-2018-review-110342/

[kscarbel2]

13 minutes ago, Hayseed said:

I too find It bizarre that you guys don't get; Diesel Engines, Manual transmissions, or the Single Cab versions..

here, We no longer get the Petrol motor. 

But the little single Cabs make up a sizable portion of Sales..

https://www.motoring.com.au/ford-ranger-2018-review-110342/

It is bizarre.......very bizarre.

Working people need to carry, meaning one needs the long bed (2317mm/7.6-foot at the floor) to do any meaningful work.

That short bed (1549mm/5-foot at the floor) is just for groceries, especially if you have a tool box.

[Jamaican Bulldog]

58 minutes ago, Hayseed said:

I too find It bizarre that you guys don't get; Diesel Engines, Manual transmissions, or the Single Cab versions..

here, We no longer get the Petrol motor. 

But the little single Cabs make up a sizable portion of Sales..

It is not unusual especially for Ford during a launch in the first year of an all new product to have limited options. Sometimes it is to test the market and get feedback on possible demand for new options which comes out the next year or so, or because in re tooling for this new product it is not feasible in the first year to have a wide variation of commodities and get them certified. When the big Transit was launched in 2014 we had numerous delays sometimes attributed to commodity shortages or logistics in production and shipping due the much wider variation this van came in compared tot the E-series it replaced.

We at the dealership level get frustrated too because after long anticipation for some products, we are often like " How could it not have XYZ!" For example, the extended/super-cab U.S version is being described as a '2 door extended cab'. We are hoping it will have small doors in the back because we absolutely know customers here would want the extended cab to have 4 doors. It was stupid that the last U.S version wasn't offered in a crew cab. Some would argue that spot was filled eventually with the  Explorer Sport-Track , which by its own right became popular with customers but it wasn't the same of what a crew cab Ranger could have been if launched earlier.

Regarding the lack of a manual shift. In the last few years of the previous Ranger we sold very few stick shift models due to low demand and today we sell very few Fords of anything with a stick for the same reason. Maybe a Mustang here and there. Not only do less people especially under 30 know how to drive one, there are less number of sales people who can sell on the enthusiasm  of owning one.

However I could see how a diesel that is not too expensive could catch on and maybe make its way to the crossovers and SUVs.

 

[Maxidyne]

I'm underwhelmed... Good to see the Ranger back, but with such limited powertrain options and cargo capability, I won't be buying one.

[Maxidyne]

sorry for the repeat post.

Perhaps the Ranger is a victim of the new Ford CEO's recent announcement that Ford would simplify the model range by reducing the number of model variations and options? 

 

[Red Horse]

8 minutes ago, Maxidyne said:

sorry for the repeat post.

Perhaps the Ranger is a victim of the new Ford CEO's recent announcement that Ford would simplify the model range by reducing the number of model variations and options? 

 

The new Ford CEO IMO should go back to selling office furniture-or to California and he can join his Silicon Valley Hi tech friends who are hi jacking the automotive industry with their push for autonomous vehicles.   This jerk is making a push to cut engineering positions and component costs.  

As a Ford stockholder I say great.  But when you look at  Ford's recall history of late, does that suggest you can cut engineering?  Or push suppliers for cheaper components??  

Something doesn't foot.  

This guy is no Alan Mulaly.

[Jamaican Bulldog]

39 minutes ago, Maxidyne said:

sorry for the repeat post.

Perhaps the Ranger is a victim of the new Ford CEO's recent announcement that Ford would simplify the model range by reducing the number of model variations and options? 

 

That could be part of the strategy too. In some ways it may not be a bad thing but I am not confident the upper management at Ford such as the new CEO will execute it properly. They are often out of touch with what the people who  visit our show rooms want.

The Ranger is also a victim of caution as to what people will want in this size truck and most importantly having any effects on the cash cow which is the F-150. Then again the F-series pays most of Fords bills.

If the Ranger takes off, expect to see more versions some of us have noted.

A bright spot for the Ranger is that it will share the same platform as the up coming Bronco and maybe the all new Explorer which is rumored to return to rear wheel drive based platform. There may even be Lincolns on this platform such as the much needed Aviator in that brands line up.

This could part of that strategy you mentioned as those plans include reducing complexities while expanding the economies of scale of shared platforms. The last Ranger partly died because its chassis sharing high volume sibling the Explorer went from body on frame to the Volvo platform,( which also had initially spawned the Ford 500/Freestyle then Taurus/X, Lincoln MKS and MKT.) The old Ranger other siblings such as the Sport Trac and Mercury Mountaineer also went away. 

[Jamaican Bulldog]

9 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

The new Ford CEO IMO should go back to selling office furniture-or to California and he can join his Silicon Valley Hi tech friends who are hi jacking the automotive industry with their push for autonomous vehicles.   This jerk is making a push to cut engineering positions and component costs.  

As a Ford stockholder I say great.  But when you look at  Ford's recall history of late, does that suggest you can cut engineering?  Or push suppliers for cheaper components??  

Something doesn't foot.  

This guy is no Alan Mulaly.

Couldn't agree more! I just heard him make a speech about taking back the streets from cars. Huh? Shouldn't  he as CEO of a car company be trying to sell more cars?

He hasn't learned from the success of Mulaly. Stick to the core brand and what customers are asking for and the company does well.

I am not saying that a car company shouldn't be exploring the future potential of autonomous and electric vehicles, but to divert so much resources away from what people are asking for and not keeping focus on the current core brands quality is short sighted. All the hype for autonomous cars may attract media  stock market attention but it is no substitute for what the core customers want. Same thing for hyping electric cars that are so dependent on government subsidies to even appear viable. The hype for electric cars must be accompanied with where all the precious metals are going to come from for the batteries and the electricity to charge them.

[Red Horse]

On 1/17/2018 at 10:41 PM, Jamaican Bulldog said:

Couldn't agree more! I just heard him make a speech about taking back the streets from cars. Huh? Shouldn't  he as CEO of a car company be trying to sell more cars?

He hasn't learned from the success of Mulaly. Stick to the core brand and what customers are asking for and the company does well.

I am not saying that a car company shouldn't be exploring the future potential of autonomous and electric vehicles, but to divert so much resources away from what people are asking for and not keeping focus on the current core brands quality is short sighted. All the hype for autonomous cars may attract media  stock market attention but it is no substitute for what the core customers want. Same thing for hyping electric cars that are so dependent on government subsidies to even appear viable. The hype for electric cars must be accompanied with where all the precious metals are going to come from for the batteries and the electricity to charge them.

JB-You work in a dealership.   what is the sentiment of your owners and the dealer network in general?   They have to see what you are talking about.  I missed his comment you referred to about ..."taking back the streets from cars", but unbelievable.  

I'm having nightmares!  Jac the Knife is back with more dumb ass ideas.

I had faith in Bill Ford.  The fact he picked this guy gives me second thoughts about all my ford shares.

[gicknordon]

When I was still working at michigan assembly, I was told by an engineer that the first couple year would be basic, then there would be a full redesign around 2020 or 2021 that would include more powertrain options. That could have changed by now though.

[Jamaican Bulldog]

10 hours ago, Red Horse said:

JB-You work in a dealership.   what is the sentiment of your owners and the dealer network in general?   They have to see what you are talking about.  I missed his comment you referred to about ..."taking back the streets from cars", but unbelievable.  

I'm having nightmares!  Jac the Knife is back with more dumb ass ideas.

I had faith in Bill Ford.  The fact he picked this guy gives me second thoughts about all my ford shares.

The owner of the place I work and a few others I know feel the same way. Ford listens more to their 'research' than dealers. The newer reps have little understanding of the business and are basically messengers who tout the scripted talking points more than listen. There are still a few really good reps but after they retire or leave the culture will be different.

You are right its like Jack Nasser again. The latest today I heard is that Hassert made a comment to suggest that he wished Ford had not sold Jaguar , Volvo and Land Rover. This again illustrates that he has not learnt from the recent history of Ford and what works and and does'nt. If Mullally did't get stop bleeding money on those brands and rightly decided to focus on  the core brands of Ford and Lincoln, Ford would either had gone bankrupt or would certainly have had to take the bail out.

[Red Horse]

3 hours ago, gicknordon said:

When I was still working at michigan assembly, I was told by an engineer that the first couple year would be basic, then there would be a full redesign around 2020 or 2021 that would include more powertrain options. That could have changed by now though.

Many on  this site as well as the BON site share that opinion.  When you are late to the party however, I wonder if you can afford that kind of strategy.

[Red Horse]

1 hour ago, Jamaican Bulldog said:

The owner of the place I work and a few others I know feel the same way. Ford listens more to their 'research' than dealers. The newer reps have little understanding of the business and are basically messengers who tout the scripted talking points more than listen. There are still a few really good reps but after they retire or leave the culture will be different.

You are right its like Jack Nasser again. The latest today I heard is that Hassert made a comment to suggest that he wished Ford had not sold Jaguar , Volvo and Land Rover. This again illustrates that he has not learnt from the recent history of Ford and what works and and does'nt. If Mullally did't get stop bleeding money on those brands and rightly decided to focus on  the core brands of Ford and Lincoln, Ford would either had gone bankrupt or would certainly have had to take the bail out.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid you are correct.  And it is obvious that you are not a newcomer to the field-and most importantly have a passion for the subject-as evidenced by the time you take to offer opinions on this site.

But I can say, in the typical dealership, how many sales reps have a clue regarding any truck beyond a 150??  

And regarding your comment on Ford listening more to researchers than the people in the field who day after day interact with the customer, how screwed up is that.  

Nothing like a balanced approach.

 And how many Ford people do you interact with that it could be said are career truck people with a true passion for their work?  My bet not many.  Instead they are people who have bounced from job to job under the guise of "career development".  Navistar? PACCAR? F'liner?  They are truck guys with no thought that their next assignment will be outside their world of trucks.