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Photos courtesy of Ford
5 Reasons Why Ford Should Bring Back the Ranger
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Photos courtesy of Ford
5 Reasons Why Ford Should Bring Back the Ranger
The Ranger Wildtrak offers upgraded off-road options.
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Photos courtesy of Ford
5 Reasons Why Ford Should Bring Back the Ranger
The interior is more refined than most mid-size trucks, but still very truck-like.
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Photos courtesy of Ford
5 Reasons Why Ford Should Bring Back the Ranger
This Ranger is good to wade in up to 800 mm of water.
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Photos courtesy of Ford
5 Reasons Why Ford Should Bring Back the Ranger
The 3.2L diesel engine offers 347 lb-ft and averages 8.3L/100km.
Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Ford
Ford’s Ranger is a winner overseas, why not here?
I was a massive fan of the compact truck market, my first ever vehicle was a 1986 Toyota pickup back when I was 17. The segment has slowly bloated to the point that all the players are now considered mid-size trucks (the modern Tacoma is nearly larger than an F-150 was 15 years ago). Then something then terrible happened. They all started dying off.
Today, there seems to be a resurrection taking place in the mid-size truck market. Toyota and Nissan are now starting to pay their vehicles some much-needed attention, and all of a sudden, GM came back to the table with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. GM not only came back to the table, they raised it a fair chunk, offering unheard of levels of refinement and features, and the coming option of a diesel engine.
GM are not the only ones taking another look at the mid-size truck market, Hyundai are looking to make a splash with their new Santa Cruz, while VW, Jeep and Mercedes are all keeping a close eye on the current popularity and staying power of the mid-size truck.
However, what about the Ford Ranger? The Ranger was once one of the best selling pickups in North America, so why would they not take another run at the market? Truth be told, Ford are very much eying up the North American market, and there are many rumours floating around, that Canada could see a return of the Ranger by 2018.
Much like GM, and VW for that mater, the Ranger still lives on overseas. During my time in New Zealand earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of getting behind the wheel of the 2015 Ford Ranger to see if the old girl still has what it takes. What I came away with was five reasons why Ford should bring the Ranger back to Canada.
Perfect Size
I might be a little biased towards smaller vehicles, something I’m sure a lot of you do not agree with, however I found the Ranger to be the perfect size for me to use as a daily driver. Smaller than a Tacoma or Colorado, the overseas Ranger is a nice compact vehicle for getting around the tight confines of a parking lot, or seldom used and overgrown trails, while still capable of hauling decent sized loads.
The 3.2L Diesel
We here at 4WDrive have been nagging at Ford to dump the attractive 3.2L diesel engine into the F-150, but Ford’s global operations went one step further. The global Ranger platform comes equipped with the 197 hp, 347 lb-ft, 3.2L Duratorq five-cylinder TDCi diesel engine that will tow 3,500 kg. I don’t know about you, but that right there is enough to get me salivating. Too much engine for you? There is a more fuel-efficient 2.2L Duratorq four-cylinder that pumps out 158 hp and 284 lb-ft. Each engine is offered with either a 6-speed auto or manual transmission.
Fuel Efficiency is King
The power numbers are impressive enough, however when you consider how these engines perform in terms of fuel-efficiency, you might be as insulted as I that Ford are keeping this truck away from us. That brute of a 3.2L receives a combined fuel-efficiency rating of 8.3L/100km. Not good enough? That little 2.2L diesel is eeking out an average of 6.6L/100km combined, that's Honda Civic territory.
I Love Driving It
Within a couple of days behind the wheel of a New Zealand spec’d Ranger, I fell in love with it much faster than I ever thought I would. Being a self-proclaimed Toyota Hilux fan, I couldn’t understand why Toyota-mad New Zealand is dropping their Hilux’s for the newer and even more expensive Ranger.
After punching the throttle to the floor and opening up the big 3.2L, the Ranger has an intoxicating low-end thrust that pins you into your seat. Hung up on a difficult loose surface obstacle? No worries mate. Toss it in 4-Low, giv’er some willy and the Ranger is reaching for the sky. The Kiwi’s have a lot of river fords on their trails, and as such, the Ranger is rated to depth of 800 mm, that's nearly a metre of water. There is just a lot to like about this truck.
It’s Got the Awards to Back it Up
Not only did the local media proclaim the Ranger to be the best option in a very crowded mid-size truck segment, the Ranger is New Zealand’s best selling truck, period. One would think that if it’s good enough for the Kiwi’s it must be good enough for us. And as a lucky soul who had the pleasure of driving the Ranger in the real world, I can say with absolute certainty, the Ranger needs to come back to Canada!