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The revamped Ford Ranger has been available in other countries for 18 months but is now available in U.S. dealerships. After several delays, the blue oval unveiled the 2024 Ranger series this morning, exhibiting new interiors, tech features, engines, and the ferociously powerful Ranger Raptor with 405 horsepower. The 2024 Ranger, although not entirely new, is a significant improvement over the previous model and seems to have been worth the wait.
The new Ranger was supposed to make its U.S. debut last year, but due to a scarcity of semiconductors, that date was moved back to 2023. Although supply chain challenges persist, the delay gives Ford additional time to address any early teething problems, which is good news for American models. Rangers sold in Australia this year had to do without several features, much as the Explorer sold in the United States last year, due to a shortage of chips.
Despite these problems, the new vehicle has been quite popular abroad. The new Ranger is expected to outsell Australia’s longstanding top-selling truck, the Toyota Hilux, for the first time. In pickup-averse Europe, it is also the truck with the highest sales. Ford undoubtedly anticipates that the 2024 Ranger will challenge the Toyota Tacoma’s longstanding hegemony over our midsize truck market and stave off competition from the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.
Ford has thereby significantly enhanced the Ranger formula without fundamentally changing it. Truck enthusiasts with keen eyes will note that the new Ranger is built on the outgoing model, sharing its sturdy chassis, 2.3-liter base turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and cab construction. Beyond that, though, a lot has changed.
Ford is aware that many purchasers of midsize trucks are searching for family-friendly adventure mobiles, and the Ranger delivers on this need more than ever while maintaining utility.
Ford Ranger 2024: Developing the Breed
The departing Ranger was still a perfect pickup despite a decade-old belly. The new model will maintain its class-leading payload capacity (albeit slightly lowered to 1,805 pounds) and highly robust 7,500-pound maximum tow rating in addition to its powerful yet reasonably fuel-efficient basic engine. Also included is the 10-speed automatic gearbox.
What won’t come back? Like GM, the slow-moving extended SuperCab body and the 6-foot bed are no longer offered. However, this combination may be built in the future. Everything else either receives significant updates or a new overhaul. That’s fortunate since the previous design, although having debuted in the United States in 2019, dates back to 2011.
The wheelbase and front and rear tracks of the 2024 Ranger are extended by 2.4 inches. The classic front coil spring and rear leaf spring suspensions are retained on the new vehicle, but the rear shocks and their mounts are now located outside the frame rails. The wider track also correlates to more bed space, which should result in a smoother ride and more stability, both in bends and on trails. According to Ford, truck customers like the well-known 48 sheets of plywood may fit within the wheel wells rather than on top of them.
There is also increased ground clearance, with four-wheel drive (4WD) variants receiving 10.4 inches of support, which is more than the original off-road Ranger Tremor (9.7 inches) and rear-drive Rangers getting a minimum of 9.3 inches (a 0.9-inch increase). Without having to shell out money for the Raptor or any Tremor package, this offers serious capabilities for off-road truck enthusiasts. However, because of the larger wheelbase, breakover angles aren’t substantially improved.
The best part is that an optional engine upgrade is now available. While the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four in the Ranger performs comparable to that of the V6 Tacoma from Toyota, it is the sole engine available in a segment dominated by V6s.
Customers will now have the option to upgrade to a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6, shared with the Bronco and producing 315 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. The standard 4WD version of the Ranger weighs 4,415 pounds, 26 pounds lighter than the previous truck, so it hasn’t gained any weight throughout the makeover, which should significantly improve performance.
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Bolder design, more space, and more technology
Those modifications now come in a much more recognizable package than before. The old Ranger performed many truck tasks well, but it was essentially unmemorable visually and had no discernible visual relationship to Ford’s other trucks. It has been replaced with a butch new appearance that, although still not directly related to the F-150, at least resembles both it and the Maverick. This blandness, which graphics packages had somewhat alleviated in recent years, is no longer present.
Even better, the inside is brand-new throughout. The old truck felt like the oldest in this region, especially regarding in-vehicle electronics. Not anymore.
The dash is dominated by an 8-inch digital drivers’ display and a standard 10.1-inch, portrait-style center touchscreen, and the materials and design appear considerably more contemporary. A 12.4-inch driver’s display and a 12-inch center screen are options if you want more. Both use Ford’s Sync 4A infotainment system, a vast improvement over the previous Sync 3 system and 8-inch screen from about 2014, which weren’t even standard. Ford has also gladly added tactile buttons and knobs for essentials like HVAC and audio settings.
A 4G LTE modem is included as standard, and many more features are now optional for the first time. The system is also capable of receiving upgrades over the air. 360-degree cameras, wireless charging, a 400-watt power converter with an outlet in the bed, zone lighting for illuminating your campsite or traversing dark regions, and various active safety equipment are among them. This includes technologies like Trailer Reversing Guidance and Active Parking Assist, previously exclusive to full-size vehicles.
Unfortunately, the additional 2 inches of wheelbase doesn’t translate to more interior space. However, the back seat does seem somewhat roomier (rear legroom increases by a meager 0.1 inch on paper). This is the limitation of using the fundamental cab design from the prior generation. Additionally, the back seat may be folded flat to increase the interior cargo capacity, and additional storage cubbies are underneath it.
Ranger Raptor 2024
In 2018, Ford produced the first Ranger Raptor. However, it was solely made for overseas sales. Additionally, even though it featured a firmer suspension and was geared for high-speed off-roading, the package could have come out too mild if it had been made available here. It has a turbodiesel engine with 210 horsepower, making it slower than the standard US Ranger.
A more extreme Ranger Raptor will arrive in the United States in 2024. It is the most potent gas-powered midsize truck on the market thanks to its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which produces 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. Including the foreign variants of the current Ranger Raptor, it is the most powerful Ranger ever created. If you need to punch it again, it also has an anti-turbo-lag technology that keeps the turbos spooled up for up to three seconds after the driver eases off the pedal.
The Ranger Raptor receives a custom-built suspension, like its Raptor-related siblings, the F-150 and Bronco. Thus, the front suspension will have light upper and lower control arms, while the rear suspension will have a long-travel coil-sprung setup with a watts linkage and trailing arms. The frame receives significant strengthening in several places, and 2.5-inch FOX brand internal bypass shocks with coil-overs and piggyback reservoirs are installed at the front and rear, respectively.
Seven drive settings will be available for the Ranger Raptor, including Normal, Tow/Haul, Sport, Slippery, Off-Road, Rock Crawl, and Baja, the last of which is designed for the infamously fast desert running of the previous Raptors. A two-speed, electronically controlled transfer case and front and rear locking differentials are also included.
Zone illumination and surround-view cameras, which are optional on the ordinary Ranger but featured on the Raptor, will benefit this situation. In addition, the Raptor has unique front seats made by Ford Performance and distinctive interior materials. Additional strengthening is essential for a vehicle to blast over the desert at high speed.
The Ranger Raptor has already given a compelling display of its extraordinary powers while directly aiming at the Colorado ZR2 and Gladiator Mojave. It took first place in the stock midclass division in the 2022 Baja 1000 Rally in Mexico before traveling 200 miles via normal roads to return to California.
When and how much will a 2024 Ford Ranger cost?
It would be surprising if the Ranger’s price didn’t increase with all the additional amenities and the increased space, but the harm isn’t too severe, and you’ll get many more vehicles for your money. The starting price for the entry-level Ranger XL SuperCrew with rear-wheel drive is $34,160, including a $1,595 destination charge.
The former XL-grade truck had a 4.2-inch LCD screen “entertainment system” and a decade-old cabin with a tiny rear seat. However, keep in mind that the price is up from $31,080 for 2023 (for an identical SuperCrew, the previous SuperCab began cheaper). For the money, the new Ranger is superior in every aspect. Though the pricier XLT and Lariat trims will mostly stay the exact, precise specifications have not yet been released.
The Ranger Raptor will cost $56,960 (plus destination), which is noticeably more expensive. The Ranger Raptor will probably establish new performance standards in this class, and even though it costs approximately $8,000 more than the Colorado ZR2 and roughly $4,000 more than the Gladiator Mojave, it has several extras that are optional or not even available on the Gladiator.
A build-and-price website will be up later this month, and production on the 2024 Ranger lineup will start shortly in Wayne, Michigan. Deliveries will start, according to Ford, in late summer.
