One of the hardest parts of being a gearhead in the era of 24/7 news is that you have to subsist on a constant stream of unsubstantiated rumors and micro-teases of product information. Such has been the case with the Ford Ranger. Ever since its tease earlier this year, we’ve had only tiny morsels of information and updates about its release window to satisfy our appetite. Thankfully, Ford has finally released the specifications of the new Ranger, and boy, does it seem worth the wait.
Aside from its slew of new features, one of the most special qualities about the new Ranger is that its design and amenities are somewhat crowdsourced. Ford teamed up with customers around the world to create a pickup that would satisfy all of their work, play, and family-related needs. What resulted from this customer-first approach was a sleeker, more aggressive exterior design and a comfortable interior that’s loaded with tech. After input from more than 5,000 customer interviews, Ford added matrix LED headlights and a defined new grille to its front. Under the newly designed exterior lies an upgraded chassis with a wheelbase that’s 50mm longer and a track that’s 50mm wider than its predecessor. Moreover, the 2022 Ranger features a new 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine, though you can still opt for either a single-turbo or bi-turbo 2.0 inline four-cylinder diesel powerplant. For customers wanting a petroleum-fueled truck, Ford is offering a 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder option as well. Transmission choices come in the form of an updated 10-speed auto or a six-speed manual.
Ford designed the interior of the truck to be equal parts workspace and haven, with amenities such as a 10.1-inch or 12-inch touchscreen, a 360-degree camera for parking assist, and a fully-integrated infotainment system that’s embedded with a modem to auto-update its infotainment software. Ford has yet to release pricing information or a release window for the next Ranger.
