Ford Ranger 2019 off-road demonstrations; exec says Raptor possible

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Ford adds American Ranger production to the demand for midsize pickups, said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's global operations chief, at the event.

"The Ranger is the world's best-selling mid-size pickup", thanks to strong production in Thailand, South Africa and Argentina, he said. "Mid-size pickup sales are growing faster than most segments," and US dealerships "can not keep Rangers used in the field."

The new Ranger easily conquered the short off-road course. The comfortable interior had plenty of room, including storage space for phones, cups, etc. A touch screen handles some features, and the truck features easy-to-use buttons and dials for air conditioning and sound.

Hinrichs praised the power, features and towing capacity of Ranger, and left the door open for an even more powerful version of the Raptor pickup.

"Never say never," he said with a smile as he was asked questions about the chances of a Raptor Ranger, eager to add that he was not going to say anything. There was no plan for that now. If there is to be an American Ranger Ranger, it will almost certainly need to be changed. Ford currently sells diesel engines in Australia and other countries. American performance fans would probably expect a gasoline V6 rather than the five-cylinder diesel from the global Ranger Raptor.

Ford sold millions of smaller Ranger pickups in the US before dropping the old model during the Great Recession, but Hinrichs felt the time had come to bring back the famous nameplate.

Wayne's Ranger is a heavily modified version of the global truck, which lacks many features and conveniences expected by American truck owners. In addition to a new, powerful 270-horsepower, 2.3-liter turbocharged engine, this new model will be the first American Ranger to feature a spacious four-door Crew Cab model. Available features will include track control, electronic controls to manage speed, throttle, brakes and off-road transmission. Ford has just introduced the feature on the full-size off-road performance pickup, the F-150 Raptor, more powerful and more expensive.

Ranger prices start at $ 24,300 and reach about $ 45,000.

Ford believes that the Ranger's small size and easy parking, as well as its favorable price, will appeal to fans of flexibility, but not needing all the capabilities of a full-size truck.

Wayne's assembly plant will be working on a shift when large-scale Ranger production begins on November 29th. A second shift will be added in 2020 if demand warrants it at the start of Bronco's production.