The last Ford Ranger to be made in North America came off the production line in late 2011, and it’s taken Ford nearly eight years to bring the model back. But this time it’s not Ford-badged version of a Mazda pickup (the 2006 to 2012 model year Ranger), but a new Ford-designed model with global ambitions.

2019 Ford Ranger Video Reviews

In Europe, this model has been available since 2012, although Ford did change it a bit with the major facelift that it received in 2015. Now a modified version of that facelifted Ranger is what’s being sold in the States, rolling off the assembly line at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant.

First American impressions of the newly reintroduced Ranger seem to be very good - reviewers appreciate it for its great blend of car and truck features. The driving experience is fine for a truck, and even if it’s only offered with one engine option at the start, that power plant is actually pretty good for both performance and efficiency. The latter of which is assisted by the clever ten-speed automatic transmission that’s standard on all models.

The engine that powers the Ranger in the U.S. is a modified version of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost Ford uses in many of its models, usually performance models like the Focus RS or Mustang. Here, the unit gets some forged internals and offers plenty of performance, as well as excellent towing capacity.

Overall, it looks like it’s a midsize truck that the market was missing, one that will undeniably prove popular, rivaling models like the Toyota Tacoma or the Chevrolet Colorado.

Further Reading

Read our speculative review on the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor.