Mid-size pickup fans are increasingly well-served and the latest spy pictures seem to suggest that things are going to get better with a utilitarian single-cab version of the Ford Ranger caught testing with the steering wheel on the left side. The truck is significant because until recently, the shortest Ranger currently available for American buyers is the XL, which has half-doors behind the front ones. This would likely be an even more function-focused alternative.
This left-hand-drive single-cab Ranger also suggests that Ford is planning on making the Ranger a world truck, rather than making different versions for different markets. That’s a similar strategy to the one reportedly being taken by Chevrolet and GMC with the upcoming Colorado/Canyon. Spy shots from early in May suggest that the Ranger will grow a bit as compared to the current model and that its design will become a little more rectangular, making the Ranger look a little more like the F-150 than this generation does.
Rumor has it that the Ranger is moving onto the T6 platform and so will share its underpinnings with the Bronco. That would give the pickup access to the same engines as the Bronco, which are a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque and a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 developing 310 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, though some reports claim that those figures are conservative.
A next-gen Ranger Raptor has also been spotted testing and reports suggest that it will be powered by a 3.0-liter V6 making more than 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. That’s the same engine as is expected in the high-performance Bronco that is no longer expected to be called the Warthog. When that is revealed, though, it may provide us with a better idea of what the next Ranger Raptor will be like.
Ford is expected to unveil the next-generation Ranger in early 2022 and that it will be sold as a model year 2023 vehicle.
