Ford has been keeping away from the Detroit bankruptcy news. Instead the blue oval appears to be going on with business as usual. Spied here is the next-generation Ford Ranger test mule doing testing in the Alps. The Ranger is quite popular in markets outside of the US, a country where the public apparently still prefers pickups that are a little bit bigger.
The spied double-cab Ranger is bigger than the vehicle it replaces but is smaller than what US taste buds are used to. Perhaps in a world of cars that is going small and eco-friendly this may not be such a bad thing. In fact if the rumours are true, this Ranger, codenamed T6, will be a "world car" for all global markets including the US.
It might look like the Thai-built Mazda BT-50 from outside but under the skin lives the upcoming Ranger. We are still some time away from the launch festivities which will happen in 2012. Ford of Australia is designing and building the truck.
An insider said the US is likely to receive a direct injection four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine with about 175hp (129kW) and 180 lb-ft (244Nm) of torque. The rest of the world will get, among others, the 3.0-litre TDCi with 154hp (113kW) and 280 lb-ft (380Nm) of torque.
politz
June 5, 2009 4:00 PM
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