Johannesburg - The highly anticipated new Ford Ranger is due to be unveiled in full before the end of this year, but with all the teasers and spy pictures doing their rounds, the highly anticipated bakkie is actually being revealed to us bit by bit.
Which brings us to the latest spy picture, posted on the Ranger6G forum by a user called @fi9aro. Although the three prototypes shown here are still disguised, the camo is light enough to effectively reveal the frontal design of the new Ford Ranger, which is very much inspired by the latest Ford F-150 as well as the smaller Maverick. According to the forum, the spy image shows the XLT, FX-4 and Wildtrak models, although we’ll have to wait until Ford’s full reveal to see the finer details of the various trim grades.
Ford has already shown us what the tail end looks like, through a teaser image that we released earlier this month, and here we see a more shapely tailgate as well as taillights that resemble those of the Maverick.
The carmaker has yet to reveal any of the technical details, but word on the street is that the new Ford Ranger will be built around a modified version of the current T6 platform, with power primarily coming from the recently introduced 2-litre single-turbo and twin-turbo diesel engines. Although the 3.2-litre motor is almost certainly on its way out, we wouldn’t be surprised if Ford SA hung onto the proven 2.2-litre turbodiesel as an entry-level option.
At the other end of the scale, there are rumours of a F-150-sourced V6 diesel with over 180kW making its debut in the higher-end versions, including the next-generation Raptor. Ford has yet to officially confirm this however.
As previously reported, the new Ford Ranger will be built in South Africa, once again for both local sales and export, as part of a R15.8 billion investment that was announced last year. Interestingly the local plant is also expected to be the world’s sole supplier of the next-generation Volkswagen Amarok, which will be closely related to the Ranger through a recent partnership between the two companies.
This partnership works both ways and has also recently spawned a new Ford Tourneo Connect with Volkswagen Caddy genes.