Ford appears to be mildly updating its current Global T6 Ranger pickup for 2019 in conjunction with the truck’s debut for the North American market. Though unconfirmed, these spy shots reveal a completely uncamouflaged Ranger wearing a different grille and sporting upgraded LED-encrusted headlights. It’s likely these same changes will accompany the U.S.-spec Ranger when it debuts ahead of the 2019 model year, possibly at this month’s Detroit Auto Show.

The likelihood of this spied pickup wearing the U.S.-spec front end is validated by a Reddit user who claims (and later verified) to be a Ford designer. Over 11 months ago the user said the U.S.-spec Ranger would be a facelifted T6 with a unique grille and headlights.

The current T6 Ranger was last updated for 2015, so a refresh for 2019 is highly probable. Making the U.S.-spec and global versions use the same parts would be an easy cost-cutting and logistics-simplifying move. Of course, the U.S.-spec Ranger will have slight differences, including left-hand drive, different license plate bracketry, and perhaps some different wheel and tire combinations. Then there are the greasy bits under the truck.

Continue reading for more information.

What The Future Holds

When the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon hit the U.S. market, Ford maintained its F-150 was the truck everyone needed but said it would be monitoring the mid-size segment’s progress. Obviously, Ford thinks there is money to be made with the American Ranger, so it’s happening in 2019. Hopefully, we’ll get our first look at this pickup come mid-January during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

It’s also clear Ford sees profits in an extreme off-road version of the Ranger, too. That’s why the Ranger Raptor is happening. It’s unclear exactly when the Ranger Raptor will happen, but our guess is either right at launch or for the 2020 model year. 2020 will also mark the Bronco’s return – an SUV that has been absent from U.S. streets since 1996. The Bronco is expected to ride on the Ranger’s T6 chassis while offering seating for five people and room for cargo in a typical SUV (five-door) layout.

As for the U.S.-spec Ranger’s drivetrain, the jury is still out. Early speculation suggests Ford will keep the 3.2-liter inline-five turbodiesel as an option. The engine is already U.S.-certified as Ford currently uses it in the Transit van. The F-150 could also loan the Ranger a few engines, too. The 3.3-liter V-6 would make a great base engine, while the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 would be a fantastic extra-cost option. We previously theorized the F-150’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 would make an excellent engine in the Ranger Raptor since it makes 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Hopefully, Ford will forego putting a four-cylinder in the Ranger altogether, though it would directly compete against the GM twins and the Toyota Tacoma’s base engines.

Expect an automatic transmission to be standard in most every Ranger trim, though lower models might come with a manual. Unfortunately, the Reddit user mentioned above did say Ford will likely offer only one transmission in the truck. Hopefully, that’s bad intel.

Naturally, the Ranger will come standard with rear-wheel drive while 4WD will be optional on all but the Ranger Raptor. That truck will come standard with 4WD, a locking rear differential, a limited-slip front differential, and Ford’s swanky drive mode selector with various types of terrains, just like in the F-150 Raptor.

We should know more within the month as Ford debuts the U.S.-spec Ranger at Detroit. If the Ranger skips Detroit, we can expect it to debut sometime before the summer of 2018 as sales should begin around September. Pricing should be very competitive in relation to the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma.

References

Ford Ranger

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Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Ford Ranger.

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