Wide-body Ford Ranger MS-RT unveiled, Australian launch unclear

The 2024 Ford Ranger MS-RT has been revealed in the UK as the so-called "ultimate street truck", built by the UK rally-racing team.

As part of the aggressive appearance package, the Ranger MS-RT gets lowered suspension, 21-inch alloy wheels, and a widebody kit.

While it's powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission offered by Ford in Australia – though producing 7kW less power at 177kW, due to European emissions rules, and matching torque at 600Nm – the Ranger MS-RT has been designed with aerodynamics and suspension for improved on-road handling.

The overall width of the Ranger has been increased by 82mm front and rear, with the pumped guards housing 275mm-wide tyres, while the track has been increased by 40mm on each side to increase traction and stability.

The suspension has also been lowered by 40mm.

"If Ranger Raptor is the ultimate off-road truck, then the Ranger MS-RT is the ultimate street truck," said Ford Pro General Manager, Hans Schep, in a written statement.

"It’s a departure from what we usually see in this segment in Europe, but with more car-like driving dynamics and the towing and carrying capacity unchanged, we believe it will offer a compelling new option for pick-up customers."

Visually, the Ranger MS-RT gets a new honeycomb grille, a deeper front spoiler, side skirts, a rear diffuser-style bumper, a cab spoiler, and a 'ducktail' spoiler on the tailgate.

The interior features front sports seats upholstered in synthetic leather and suede with blue contrast stitching, while the sculpted sports steering wheel features heating and a blue 12 o'clock marker.

The Ranger MS-RT was unveiled alongside the Ford Transit Custom MS-RT – available with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, a 2.5-litre petrol plug-in hybrid system, or as an electric van with a 210kW e-motor powering the rear wheels.

The Transit Custom MS-RT gets a similar treatment to the Ranger, with wider 19-inch alloy wheels, a 50mm wider track, and a body-kit with a "motorsports inspired" rear spoiler.

While the MS-RT outfit has a presence in Australia – with a Facebook page claiming "MS-RT Australia builds an exclusive collection of limited edition, rally inspired MS-RT Ford Ranger and MS-RT Ford Transit Custom vehicles in Australia," – Ford Australia hasn't confirmed whether it will bring the two models to market locally.

"We have no news to share on any plans to bring the Transit Custom MS-RT or Ranger MS-RT to Australia," a spokesperson for Ford Australia told Drive.

Australia missed out on the previous-generation Ford Ranger MS-RT, revealed in 2021 with exterior styling tweaks and lightweight OZ Racing alloy wheels.