Ford Ranger Max: High Performance Utility

Motoring Channel Staff - 1/December/2008

Bangkok, Thailand — The airport may be blocked by anti-government supporters, but not even dire political upheaval can stop Thailand's annual motor show, the Thailand Motor Expo.

Most vehicles exhibited in Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok are related to the domestic Thai and surrounding South East Asian markets, but one of the concept cars that caught our attention was the Ford Ranger Max.

The radical new design is getting a lot of people talking, which was the creative effort of a team of Ford truck specialists in Thailand who worked in tandem with Ford's Australia-based Asia Pacific and Africa design team.

Paul Gibson, the chief designer of the Ranger Max concept who also worked on the 2004 Focus Concept Sedan shown at the Beijing Motor Show in 2004, designed the vehicle to show how a future high performance model could look. 

There's been no green light for its production as yet, but judging by the buzz surrounding the vehicle it could become a reality.

"We know Ranger is tough and durable, and Ranger Max adds to those qualities," said Paul Gibson, the vehicle's chief designer.

"The show truck does not follow a trend; it sets a new tough style direction for compact trucks," added Gibson.

Ford's new look Ranger is a modern looking ute in its own right, but the Max concept takes the ute's design in a more dynamic direction.

Stylised wheel arches with a cog-like motif frame the large 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 285/60 R18 BF Goodrich tyres. 

At the front of the vehicle the Blue Oval's new triple-bar grille is in evidence as is a new look for the Ranger.

"When you look at the front design, the three-bar grille, the overt nostrils and open mouth, you're looking straight into the face of Ranger's evolution," revealed Gibson.

"There are design elements we are developing and Ranger Max is one possibility.

"We've crafted the face of the Ranger Max to explore a new look. Elements from it could evolve into the new identity of Ford Ranger," stated the vehicle's chief designer.

In addition to new brake lights, the rear end gets a hard tonneau cover and sporty rear cab cladding.

The driver can even use a remote control to operate the automatic power tonneau cover.

Some of the other design features include the sporty engine hood which features a tough-looking power bulge with extraction vents.

"Ranger Max is genuinely tough, and it is a truck that gets the job done. This high-impact show truck also has the bold visual presence that looks great on the urban scene," says Gibson.

"The Ranger Max is not just about creating show excitement. We have a great opportunity to test design themes that may make their way into production.

"Ranger Max says exciting things about the possibilities for truck fans in Ranger's future," added Gibson, who is may know more than he is letting on about the upcoming products in the Ranger portfolio.

If it went into production, the Ford Ranger Max would rival vehicles such as the Toyota-built TRD HiLux, which is powered by a 4.0-litre supercharged petrol engine.

Ford has not revealed what engine resides under the Ranger Max's vented hood, but it's a fair bet that it will be a turbo diesel engine. 

The current Australia range features 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre turbo diesels, either of which could be tuned to output significantly more torque.

There is a chance a forced-induction petrol engine could be used that would endow the vehicle with a big ticket performance and if built Australia would be one of the key markets for a vehicle like this.

Some of the other potential changes that could be made to this model include stiffer sports suspension and a high tech interior with sat nav and other gadgets.

"Ranger is respected," Gibson says, "and Ranger Max amplifies that identity, which gives it a modern and youthful character that's really suited to sporting and social activities, too."

One of the most obvious things about the vehicle is its bright orange paintwork, called Mango Hit, which gives the vehicle a real 'look at me' attitude.

"Ranger Max wasn't meant to be elegant or pretty," continued Gibson. "The robust nature of Ranger means that it is the dependable workhorse, and with Ranger Max we wanted to create a show truck that is cool as hell."

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