The Ford Ranger is set for more upgrades across the line-up from the entry-level Ranger XL through to the Ranger Raptor.
The upgrades will be arriving in December and adds to the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection which has recently been added to the line-up at no extra cost.
The Ranger XL now comes equipped with a heavy duty suspension option as part of a suite of changes for New Zealand customers.
The line-up includes the hard working Ranger XL cab chassis, the premium pitched Ranger Wildtrak as well as the niche offering of the Ford Performance Ranger Raptor.
“New Zealand Ranger customers are finding so many different uses for their Ranger, from workhorse to weekend off-roader through to safely heading out with the family,” Ford New Zealand managing director Simon Rutherford says.
“We’re glad to add to the versatility and capability of the Ranger line-up, and bring more value to customers with the latest updates. We’ll keep on working to make sure Ranger continues to be the vehicle that reflects what customers want.”
The XL Chassis Cab with a heavy duty suspension (HDS) will further expand on its load-carrying capability with five-year or 150,000 kilometre warranty (whichever comes first).
Building on Ranger XL Chassis Cab’s payload of 1195 to 1483kg and towing capacity of 3,500kg, the package has been introduced to enable improved ride and handling characteristics for those who regularly carry a significant load in the rear tray.
Customer feedback from Ranger owners has seen the HDS developed to improve vehicle behaviour under load, in particular reducing visual ‘tail down’ when carrying substantial weight.
When carrying a typical load of 550kg, for example, the HDS improves bump-stop clearance of 70% (or 25mm) compared to the standard suspension, enhancing the Ranger’s departure angles.
The Ranger XL will also include an improved Ford SYNC infotainment system with an eight-inch high-resolution touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Smartphone compatibility as standard.
All Ranger models will receive an additional USB port mounted behind the rear view mirror. This port has been designed to support dash cam units, many of which are powered by USB.
The benefit of this windscreen-mounted USB port is that customers no longer need to have cables hanging from the windscreen down to the lower dash, or otherwise pull apart interior trim pieces to hide the cable.
The Ranger XLT, Wildtrak and Ford Performance Ranger Raptor will be fitted with new high performance Bi-LED headlights for greater vision ahead, and increase vehicle visibility.
In comparable conditions, the new high performance Bi-LED headlights bring a significant gain in forward vision for Ranger, with 17% greater lighting penetration on the road ahead, which increases to a 20% greater penetration when high-beam is in operation.
Further benefits from the high performance lighting include a brighter, white colour light beam that’s closer to daylight, further bringing a clearer road ahead.
The Ranger Wildtrak brings customers an even greater level of premium comfort with updated looks backed by new features. In addition to the high performance lighting system as standard, the Wildtrak brings a new machined-finish 18-inch alloy wheel as standard.
Wildtrak will feature a power roller shutter as standard for greater convenience and usability. The new roller shutter can be activated three ways; via the key fob, a dash-mounted switch, or from a button within the Wildtrak’s tub.
The new design brings a sleeker lid with additional load space, with an increase of 80mm opening length between the canister and the tailgate with lift assistance.
The sleeker design also enables an increase of 20mm in height clearance over the current shutter, for greater load space flexibility.
The updates for the Ford Performance Ranger Raptor include the high performance Bi-LED lighting, additional USB port but also bring a fresh look to highlight its hero status in the line-up.
A new Ford Performance Blue paint colour choice will be available exclusively on Ranger Raptor.
