Line-up upgrade for Ford Ranger

Arriving from late December 2019, the 2020 Ford Ranger will be offered with increased equipment levels across the line-up, from the entry-level Ranger XL through to the Ranger Raptor.

The Ford Ranger XL now comes equipped with a heavy-duty suspension option as part of a suite of changes to offer New Zealand customers even greater capability and performance. 

The line-up includes the Ranger XL cab chassis, the Ranger Wildtrak as well as 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,” says Simon Rutherford, managing director, Ford New Zealand.

“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 Ranger XL Chassis Cab

The Ranger XL Chassis Cab with a heavy-duty suspension (HDS) will further expand on its load-carrying capability. The factory-fitted HDS is a comprehensively engineered package with the full backing of Ranger’s five-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty (whichever comes first).

Building on Ranger XL Chassis Cab’s payload of 1,195 to 1,483kg 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 per cent (or 25mm) compared to the standard suspension, enhancing the Ranger’s departure angles.

The upgrade for the HDS includes:

- New rear springs – thicker, with revised spring rate

- New front and rear dampers with revised damper tune

- Bridgestone A/S tyres on 4x2 XL models (already standard on 4x4 XL models)

- Unique calibration for ABS and electronic stability control (ESC)

The Ford Ranger

The Ranger XL will also now include an improved infotainment system with an 8.0-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 rearview mirror. This port has been designed to support dashcam 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.

The new lighting system brings Bi-LED projector headlights, replacing the previous HID projector headlights, with an LED high-beam reflector (previously halogen reflectors). Aesthetically, the upgraded high-performance lighting system is distinguished by a new square lamp design in place of the previous circular versions.

Incomparable conditions, the new high-performance Bi-LED headlights bring a significant gain in forward vision for Ranger, with 17 per cent greater lighting on the road ahead, which increases to a 20 per cent 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

The Ranger Wildtrak brings customers an even greater level of premium comfort, capability and convenience with updated looks backed by new features. In addition to the high-performance lighting system as standard, the Ranger Wildtrak brings a new machined-finish 18-inch alloy wheel as standard.

In addition, the 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.

A new Ford Performance blue paint colour choice will be available exclusively on Ranger Raptor.

The updated Ford Ranger line-up will be available in Ford dealerships from December 2019.