New Ford Ranger Ready for Some Serious Off-Road Action

Having introduced the new Ranger as an affordable off roader for the global masses, Ford is keeping itself busy by doing exactly what it did with all its recent models: popularize every inch of it and every piece of technology that make up the model in the hope of generating enough consumer interest to give the cars a head start.

So far, that strategy worked, with the Fiesta posting impressive sales for years now and with the new Focus probably following the same path. For the Ranger, however, the approach must be a bit different, considering the fact that the term “wild” fits the model better than “urban.”

For the new Ranger, Ford will try and gain as much exposure as it can from letting the world into the tech that makes the pickup an off-roader worth mentioning. Features like 241 mm ground clearance, 800 mm water-wading capability and an electronic locking rear differential are just minor elements compared to what Ford says the model packs.

Ford's global pickup features all the technologies that you would normally find into a Built Tough model: Hill Launch Assist, Hill Descent Control and Roll-over Mitigation. It also comes equipped, for the 4x4 models, with electronically controlled transfer case, that allows a quick switch from 4x2 to 4x4.

All said and done, once the Ranger hits all the markets it is scheduled to hit, the sales number that it will generate will probably exceed, just like it was the case with the Fiesta, the most optimistic expectations of the car maker. Chevy Colorado, your move...

“These customers are looking for a vehicle that’s capable enough to take them further afield into more remote locations,” said vehicle integration engineer Sam Ellis. “And we’ve engineered the Ranger to be able to do this and more.”