It looks like 2024 will be the year of the midsize pickup.
Another Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Gulch have proactively been uncovered, another Toyota Tacoma is coming on May 19 and presently Passage is showing its hand.
Since its return to the company’s lineup in 2019, the Ranger has not undergone a complete redesign until the 2024 model year.
It is generally a similar size outwardly as the truck it replaces yet loaded up with new elements and tech.
The Ranger will only be available as a four-door SuperCrew when it goes on sale. It has a slightly larger cabin than the previous truck because the bed is bigger and the wheelbase is longer.
It will be available with two engines—a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 with 315 horsepower and the familiar 270 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine—each paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
An XL trim truck with the STX appearance package will start at $34,160 for both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models. Ford hasn’t said when the SuperCab with a six-foot bed or lower grades will be available.
The inside comes standard with a 8-inch screen in the instrument group and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment framework show, while a full computerized instrument bunch and 12-inch touchscreen are added on higher trims.
Some functions on the center screens now have knobs and buttons, making them easier to use with gloves on.
Electronic driver aids like lane-centering adaptive cruise control, a bird’s eye-view camera, and Ford’s ProTrailer Backup Assist can be added to the Ranger. This feature lets the driver control the truck with a trailer attached in reverse by turning a knob on the center console while the truck steers itself using cameras and sensors.
A 360-degree exterior lighting system for use at work sites and campsites and a 400-watt inverter with an outlet in the bed can power electrical equipment while the engine is running.
The addition of a high-performance Ranger Raptor model based on the Bronco Raptor, which debuted last year, is the most significant modification.
It has a long travel suspension with 2.5-inch Fox Live Valve Shocks, which can adjust their damping characteristics to allow the truck to be driven at high speeds off-road without sacrificing rock climbing capability or body control on pavement. Additionally, it has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that produces 405 horsepower, making it the most powerful Ranger ever.
There is even a “jump mode” that can detect when the truck is in the air and set up the shocks to pad the arrival on its 33-inch off-road tires, however a full arrangement of slip plates are introduced to safeguard the underbody, for good measure.
Ford entered a stock Ranger Raptor prototype for the Baja 1000 in Mexico last year and drove it back to Riverside, California, where it completed the race without major issues in just over 26 hours.
The Raptor has its own interior design, sports seats, and the Raptor’s distinctive Code Orange interior trim, and it can be ordered with most Ranger options for $56,960.
All Rangers will be worked at Passage’s Michigan Gathering Plant close by the Horse and conveyances are planned to begin in the not so distant future.
