No more waiting: Ford prices powertrain-tweaked Ranger range

Ranger has stayed the same outside and in, but not underneath its bonnet. Picture: Ford Ahead of local market launch next week, Ford has officially confirmed pricing of the updated Ranger range. Announced towards the end last year, the updates only involves a reshuffle in the choice of powertrains, with no exterior or interior changes being applied.

Last offered in the previous generation Mustang and Focus RS, the biggest highlight is the arrival of the 2.3 EcoBoost petrol engine as replacement for the locally-made 2.0-litre Panther bi-turbodiesel that made 154kW/500Nm. At the same time, a line-up expansion will be applied to all three bodystyles; single cab, SuperCab and double cab, along with the arrival of a Sport trim grade. Sold in the Middle East and in theNorth American Ranger, where it makes 200kW/420Nm, for South Africa, the unit produces 222kW/452Nm.

Unlike in thesister Volkswagen Amarok, drive will go the rear wheels only instead of all four. The General Motors co-developed 10-speed automatic is again the only transmission option available. Elsewhere in the range, the single turbo 2.0-litre Panther oil-burner remains, but jettisons the six-speed automatic ‘box for the 10-speed.

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The six-speed manual gearbox carries over, as does the engine’s outputs of 125kW/405Nm. However, a timing chain now replaces the timing belt. At the line-up’s sharp-end, the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 remains as is, as does the Raptor’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 petrol. The former, though, becomes the replacement for all four and all-wheel drive versions of the bi-turbo, whereas the EcoBoost succeeds all rear-wheel drive variants.

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