EARLIER THIS YEAR Ford’s Ranger ute had a makeover - with Ford Australia engineers involved - but further changes are already in store for the medium-weight commercial load lugger.
These spy photos show a front treatment that’s almost unchanged (this mule appears to be wearing a front bumper purloined from the current Mazda BT-50 range), however it’s the subtler differences that will make the new Ranger a more practical and more robust beast.
Those rather pronounced wheelarch bulges won’t make it to the production version, but they do hide a body that’s wider and longer than the current model.
The increase in width will also translate into improved stability, as track width will also grow slightly. Cabin space will also benefit, with the rear seats expected to be more spacious.
We’ve yet to hear any solid word on the new Ranger’s engine range, but word on the street is that the 3.0 litre diesel presently used will carry over. Both diesel and petrol engines are said to be under test.
The T6 Ranger mules have been spotted in dual-cab, king-cab and LHD form.
The new Ranger will be a global car for Ford, and Ford Australia is taking the lead in the car’s development. Work on the new Ranger will reportedly benefit Ford Aus to the tune of $700 million, with approximately 450 local engineers involved in the project.
The T6 Ranger will go on sale globally, with production to be carried out in South Africa, Thailand and the USA. No local production is planned.
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I was wondering why it had such a similar profile to the current Ranger/BT-50, but they must have also used the doors from the current model because from the side shot you have you notice the door does not nearly match the windscreen.
I’m hoping that the rated pay load for the weekend warrior models, ie XLT are under 1 tonne, as per the rest of the market. This means i could novate lease one.
I think its funny how the 1st main photo inside the ute windsreen it has your webname….lol
Anyway, lets hope FOMOCO dont make the same onld mistakes
1/ Can it fit a std. Chep shipping pallet between the wheelarches of the rear tray?
2/Is the ULP engine LPG friendly.
2a/Why not engineer this for the Falcon IL6
3/Will the rear bench seat be the rea-deal or a total-joke as per the commodore crewcab [people with no legs and no spine]
Cheers
F-0
Lets hope they produce it with engines putting out at least 150Kw and hopefully about 200Kw. They should be looking at the Ford America Sport Trac as a sample of what many people want these days in their SUVs. GMH were on the right track but messed it up in the back seat area. A Territory based ute would sell like hot cakes as the reality is most buyers dont need true off road capabilities.