Ford Ranger: More Power, More Utility

Motoring Channel Staff - 9/Feb/2007

Melbourne, Australia — If you're in the market for a new light commercial ute, Ford has you covered with its new Ranger, which starts from $20,990, replacing the Courier ute which has been around since the late 1970s.

With an a new exterior design and a range of new engines, the Ranger is able to tow loads weighing up to 3.0 tonnes, which compares well with the Courier's maximum towing capacity, which was 1.8 tonnes.

Both 4WD and 2WD (4x4 and 4x2) versions will be offered featuring independent double-wishbone suspension at the front for car-like handling, while the rear end is equipped with leaf springs, which gives the Ranger its cargo hauling capabilities.

"Setting new standards in the light commercial sector, the all-new Ford Ranger is a no-compromise, powerful vehicle offering the style, comfort and refinement of a passenger car," said Ford Australia's president, Tom Gorman.

"The new Ranger is more powerful compared with Courier, offers improved functionality, significantly increased three-tonne towing ability (when using a 3.0-litre manual transmission model fitted with a genuine Ford towpack and load leveling kit), and maintains a one-tonne plus payload across the range," said Gorman.

"Ford engineers have built on the company's vast experience in trucks to deliver the ultimate one-tonne vehicle with the performance and power to get the job done.

"At the same time, we recognised that Ranger had to be versatile enough to adapt to the changing needs of the light commercial owner in the 21st century. It needs to be a combination of reliable work mate, family vehicle, lifestyle statement and an adventure vehicle," said Gorman, adding that "We engineered Ranger to deliver on all these expectations. It's the can do truck – a truck that means business."

Mr Gorman said the new Ranger light commercial range replaces the Courier line-up, with the name change to Ranger coming after numerous hours of exhaustive customer research.

"It was a tough decision to change a name that has been part of the Ford Australia family since 1978, but the research was overwhelming. The light commercial vehicle sector has changed dramatically in recent years, with customers wanting more from their truck than just a reliable work vehicle," said Tom Gorman, no doubt referring to vehicles like the Toyota HiLux which is marketed as a lifestyle vehicle more than a utility.

"Today's light truck owner wants the best of both worlds – a dependable, genuine truck for the industrious worker and a great family vehicle with the quality, comfort, safety and modern conveniences they demand. Ranger researched well as a brand name that exemplified all these attributes. The Ranger brand is used by Ford around the world and, with an all-new vehicle for 2007, we saw this as the ideal time to introduce a new light truck with a bold new name for the Australian light commercial market," Mr Gorman said.

New Ranger features a more aggressive and bolder look, a modern car-like interior, two new common-rail turbo-diesel engines featuring direct injection, improved ride and handling and significantly higher towing capacity.

The new Ranger line-up will be powered by two new twin-cam turbo-diesel engines featuring common-rail direct fuel injection for effortless high-torque pulling power.

The new 16-valve 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre 4-cylinder Duratorq engines are quiet and offer greater performance, improved fuel economy and lower emissions, says Ford.

A variable geometry turbocharger has significantly reduced turbo lag, broadens the torque curve and promotes smoother and faster acceleration, meaning that hauling or towing loads is a breeze with the new 2.5-litre engine, which delivers maximum power of 105kW @ 3500rpm and 330Nm of torque @ 1800rpm.

When compared with the previous Courier model's 2.5-litre diesel, torque is up 22% at 200 fewer revs and fuel economy has improved 14.4% in the new 2.5-litre engine.

Even more impressive is the 3.0-litre engine, which produces a thumping 380Nm of torque @ 1800rpm and 115kW of power @ 3200rpm. These engines don't need to be revved to get the most out of them, which makes them even more practical for load-hauling and towing duties.

Mr Gorman said the common-rail direct-injection system and other engine technology were tuned for significant gains in both performance and fuel efficiency: "The engines are monitored by a 32-bit microprocessor that constantly adjusts all systems to ensure the optimal fuel-air mixture. Power and economy are enhanced by creating the most efficient swirl patterns within each cylinder through use of a swirl control valve."

The new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel powerplant can be matched to either a 5-speed manual or an optional 6-speed automatic transmission. An added appeal of the new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel manual transmission model is the ability to tow up to 3.0 tonnes (when fitted with a genuine Ford towpack and load leveling kit), up from 1800kg on Courier.

The Ford Ranger is a diverse and flexible vehicle with Single Cab, Crew Cab, Chassis Cab and the Super Cab bodystyles, incorporating the innovative Rear Access System. With two front doors and two access panels that open towards the rear, the Supercab provides the largest possible opening to the cabin for the convenience of passengers and for loading large valuable objects. All cab styles are also available in cab chassis or pick-up box.

The new Ford Ranger line-up starts at $20,990 and tops out at $47,990 for the 3.0-litre, 4x4 Crew Cab model. In total, there are 18 different models spanning between this price range.

Tough, modern exterior

The exterior of the new Ford Ranger is designed to be tougher and more modern with a purposeful stance and a bolder, more athletic appearance. A self-assured on-road presence is achieved through an imposing new front-end, prominent wheel arches, higher beltline and taller cargo box.

The bold front-end design – featuring a large, wide grille and dominant power dome – conveys strength and gives a hint of the powerful new engines underneath. Clear-lens reflector headlamps with jewel-like details and a bold split front bumper, helping protect integrated fog lamps (where fitted), complete the look.

At the rear, the side-wall of the cargo box is 60mm higher than the previous Courier model (405mm up to 465mm), boosting storage to 1266 litres on single cab pick-up models.

The new line up offers a combination of torque, payload and towing ability which positions Ranger as one of the most desirable vehicles in the light commercial vehicle sector.

Rugged Off-roader

Ford says that Ranger's credentials as an authentic off-roader have been enhanced with a more rigid chassis and tougher, more durable suspension for overcoming challenging conditions. Wide tracks, superb ground clearance and excellent approach, departure and ramp-over angles are designed to negotiate the roughest terrain including steep hills and deep ruts.

High-torque performance, mated to a robust 4x4 transfer case and fed to the road through larger wheels and all-terrain tyres, provide the extra traction needed to take customers anywhere – and get them back safely claims Ford.

New Ranger has undergone extensive durability and performance testing in the most severe conditions – from a numbing -25°C to a searing 50°C. It has survived torture tests at proving grounds in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and South Africa, including extensive trailer-towing.

Early production vehicles were put through their paces in the mountains of northern Thailand and Laos, the jungles of Borneo, the Australian outback, South Africa’s Kruger National Park and German autobahns.

Improved Ride and Handling

Every mechanical aspect of new Ford Ranger has been engineered and refined to deliver superior driving and handling. The Ranger’s tougher and more durable chassis and suspension have been tuned to deliver sharper handling and a more refined ride, even when fully laden and towing heavy loads.

At the same time, Ford engineers have ensured Ranger can handle some of the most challenging driving conditions and road surfaces in the world.

At the front, Ranger’s 4x2 and 4x4 models are fitted with a car-like independent double-wishbone suspension with a longer and larger torsion bar and larger-diameter dampers for greater driver control and ride comfort. Ranger’s rear suspension, carefully tuned for improved ride and handling, has been strengthened to support the vehicle’s hauling and towing capabilities with longer leaf springs. Ford also says the steering has been optimised for easy handling in low-speed manoeuvres such as parking and better control at high speeds.

Refined Interior

The confidence, power and refinement of all-new Ranger continues on the inside where owners will find the features, comfort and craftsmanship normally reserved for passenger cars explains Ford.

"Truck owners are spending more and more time in the vehicles, both at work and with their friends and family on weekends," Mr Gorman asserted. "We designed the new Ranger interior to ensure they enjoy the comfort they want and deserve." 

For passenger comfort during spirited driving or over long distances, the front seats feature a new, more sculpted back, more supportive bolsters and larger headrests. New switches and controls are easier to operate and placed logically so the driver knows intuitively where to find them. A new centre stack is displayed prominently in the modern instrument panel.

The centre stack contains new ventilation controls and a standard audio system that features an AM/FM radio, in-dash CD player with MP3 capability.

"While customers demand a tough truck, they also want the interior comfort of a passenger car – especially for long trips and for driving with friends or family," said Paul Gibson, who is the chief designer for the Asia Pacific and African regions.

"On the face of it, you might think our tough-truck customers would be expecting a rather bare-bones, utilitarian interior," he said. "Far from it! They’ve told us they want similar quality, refinement and creature comforts found in passenger cars. When they’re using their vehicle as a workhorse, they’ll have the convenience and comfort they need, especially for long cross-country drives. Of course, everything inside their truck has to be robust and capable of standing up to knocks and scrapes because our customers certainly don’t treat their trucks with kid gloves – inside or out."

Convenient storage areas abound, including a pull out tray from the passenger-side instrument panel. Other storage areas are located on top of the instrument panel, below the ventilation controls and inside the front doors. The two-bin centre console can store up to 10 CDs plus a pair of sunglasses and two mobile phones.

Ranger also retains its interior spaciousness and flexibility with a Single Cab, Crew Cab, Chassis Cab and the Super Cab, incorporating the innovative Rear Access System. With two front doors and two access panels that open towards the rear, the Supercab provides the largest possible opening to the cabin for the convenience of passengers and for loading large valuable objects. All cab styles are also available in cab chassis or pick-up box.

Safety Systems

Ford has revealed the new Ranger offers a host of structural improvements over and above Courier, including the availability of side-airbags on XL Supercab and Crewcab models as part of an optional safety pack. The safety pack also features anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), XLT trim, power windows and central locking. 

Side-airbags are a no cost option on XLT models and will be available from the second quarter.

Ranger’s excellent body construction directs crash forces through the strengthened frame and away from vehicle occupants. Protective beams in the doors and the raised beltline provide added safety and protection from side crashes.

The more durable suspension, improved aerodynamics and more responsive steering contribute to safety by improving handling at high speeds and ensuring long-distance travel is more comfortable and less tiring.

Stopping power comes from ventilated discs at the front and larger leading and trailing drums at the rear. Braking effort has been reduced and four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) are standard on XLT models and available as an option across the rest of the range.

"The light commercial segment is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing in the Australian market," said Mr Gorman. "The new Ranger, with its impressive list of features, gives Ford Australia a fantastic vehicle to enhance our well earned light truck reputation."

Tough Truck Design

"The tough, clean, modern design of the new Ford Ranger is drawn directly from the spirit of the legendary Ford F Series." Paul Gibson, Chief Designer, Asia Pacific and Africa

The distinctively rugged new exterior of Ford Ranger immediately announces its “tough truck” pedigree and takes it to a new level.

New Ranger boasts a more muscular appearance that exudes greater confidence and toughness and an even bolder spirit. To create this confident presence, Ford designers drew on the company’s 89 years of truck experience to ensure the new look meets the expectations of customers.

Chief Designer Asia Pacific and Africa Paul Gibson said the inherent knowledge among Ford designers for styling trucks was supplemented by research amongst truck customers around the world.

“The exterior design of new Ford Ranger emphasises the power and capability inherent in all Ford trucks,” Gibson said.

Invoking the spirit of the legendary F-Series, new Ranger has a more commanding on-road presence: it looks bigger and stronger with a bold design that is tough, durable and thoroughly modernised to meet the tastes of customers. The Ford Tough Truck DNA is evident from every angle – from the prominent grille and power dome on the hood, through the solid wedge-shaped side profile, to the deeper pickup box at the rear.

Flexible Body Designs

Ford confirms the new Ford Ranger is available with a range of body styles designed to suit the particular requirements of a wide variety of customers. Available in body styles including Single Cab, Super Cab (incorporating the innovative Rear Access System) and Crew Cab, all models are available in cab chassis and pick-up box configurations.

Ford’s unique Super Cab is another innovation underlying the company’s extensive truck heritage. Ford was the first to introduce this flexibility and added convenience for customers.

The Super Cab features two forward-opening front doors and two access panels that open towards the rear, creating the largest possible opening to the cabin. This system provides excellent access for occupants and for stowing large, awkward cargo.

Ford designed the revolutionary opening because research among customers and other truck owners identified a need to carry large objects that are too delicate or valuable to be exposed to the weather. Highlighting the flexibility and attention to customer requirements, the Super Cab also offers a larger pickup box than the Crew Cab.

The Single Cab has two doors and the longest possible pickup box.

For customers needing even more flexibility, Ford offers a Chassis Cab that enables them to tailor their vehicle for specialist purposes. Delivered without the pickup box, owners often use qualified modifiers to add custom-built bodies. As a result, Ford is able to cater for a diverse range of customers who require the ruggedness and refinement of the Ranger and want to install customized conversions to suit their particular application.

For the security of customers and their vehicle, new Ranger XLT models are fitted with an engine immobiliser and passive anti-theft system. This system prevents the engine being started by anyone who does not have the correctly coded ignition key. The key’s built-in transponder communicates with an electronic control module via an antenna coil mounted in the steering lock and Ford explains that if the module fails to recognise and accept the key’s transponder identification code, it automatically shuts off fuel to the fuel-injection system after two seconds.

Powerful Powertrains

"New Ranger is engineered to work the way you work; the way you expect your truck to work. Acceleration is instant, smooth and predictable so you can confidently undertake highway merging and passing on a hill, even with a full cargo load and 3.0-tonne trailer," explained Mark Bill, who is the chief platform engineer on the Ranger project.

The heart of Ford's rugged one-tonner has been revitalised with the introduction of two new turbo-diesel common-rail direct-injection (TDCi) engines. Responding to customer demands, Ford has achieved the winning combination of delivering substantially better performance while using markedly less fuel and producing fewer harmful emissions.

The key to the performance increase is the high-torque characteristics of these 16-valve DOHC engines. The new 2.5-litre powerplant produces a substantial 330Nm while the 3.0-litre engine develops a mammoth 380Nm @ just 1800 rpm.

Reflecting the high-torque nature of Ford’s cutting-edge technology, the new 16-valve 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre 4-cylinder TDCi engines have adopted the Duratorq badge. Duratorq is a trademark of Ford Motor Company and is synonymous with modern high-performance diesel technology.

Greater power and performance are achieved by the fuel being injected directly into the combustion chamber multiple times per cycle under high pressure (1600 bar) from a common-rail pump. The technology ensures the best possible mixture of fuel and air in the cylinders, resulting in efficient combustion for high torque and excellent fuel economy while also reducing engine noise and vibration.

Combined with a variable geometry turbocharger that reduces turbo lag, the system increases power and torque across the driving range, ideal for powerful acceleration, carting heavy loads and negotiating treacherous off-road conditions.

High torque and superior performance in all driving conditions were the keys to development of the new TDCi engines. Mark Bill said the engine technology was developed specifically to enhance the high-torque characteristics: "It's torque that provides the grunt to move a truck. These engines develop high torque and provide it right across the rev range, resulting in improved engine and towing performance compared with Courier."

While both engines develop their peak torque at 1800rpm, 90 percent of this maximum is available from just 1400rpm. The abundance of torque on tap from the moment the ignition key is turned – all the way through the usable rev range – provides customers with the certainty of knowing they can get the job done in any conditions.

At the same time as producing substantially more power, the new 2.5-litre engine is much more fuel efficient and cleaner burning than the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine in the previous Courier model. It delivers 14.4 percent better fuel economy and achieves an impressive fuel-consumption rate of just 8.3L/100km in a 4x2 Single Cab.

Despite its bigger capacity and associated increase in performance, the fuel-efficiency of the 3.0-litre engine (with manual transmission) is even more amazing with fuel economy 8.9 percent better than the previous Courier's 2.5-litre engine. "The outright performance from these high-torque engines combined with their fuel-sipping economy puts the new Ranger among the leaders in the segment," Bill added.

Given the massive torque of the new TDCi engines, Ford's new 5-speed manual transmission now comes with a dual-mass flywheel, triple-cone synchronizers and other enhancements to improve vehicle refinement. Designed with the customer in mind, it has a more car-like feel with a shorter lever and reduced throw between gears.

The dual-mass flywheel has separated primary and secondary flywheels and a damper spring located inside the flywheel. This structure stabilises rotation of the transmission primary shaft, reducing noise created by fluctuating engine speeds. A triple, rather than double-cone synchronizer increases the friction surface area, reducing the force and meshing time for operating the manual transmission.

Manual transmission vehicles use a 2-speed manual shift transfer cases. In normal on-road driving, torque is directed solely to the rear wheels, saving fuel and reducing wear on driveline components.

In 4x2 mode, the remote free-wheel front axle can be disengaged via a switch on the instrument panel, allowing the front wheels to rotate freely. The effect is similar to unlocking wheel hubs. Owners benefit from reduced drag and improved fuel economy.

For off-road or low-traction conditions, the driver can select 4x4 high, which directs torque to both the front and rear wheels. The front axle is locked into drive from the cabin without the driver having to leave the vehicle, and then for really rugged conditions the driver can also select low-range 4x4 for the best traction performance.

A mechanical, multi-plate, torque-sensing limited slip differential (LSD) apportions torque between the left and right sides of the vehicle. During cornering, the driving force is transmitted efficiently to the side with most traction, maintaining optimum torque balance. The result is a vehicle that offers better drivability and handling, particularly during high-speed cornering.

New Ranger also features an impressive all-new 5-speed automatic transmission, available as an option across select 4x2 and 4x4 models fitted with the 3.0-litre powertrain.

The electronically controlled 5-speed automatic transmission has closely spaced ratios that keep the engine in its power band to produce better acceleration under full throttle. Its wide overall ratio provides a unique combination of off-the-line jump and remarkably good highway fuel economy. 

The powerful 32-bit PCM delivers benefits in the transmission, as well as the engine, by precisely controlling shift duration and shift timing. Throttle position, engine speed, load, environmental factors and other parameters guide the transmission shift schedule.

Electronic shift-on-fly mechanism creates an easier 4x4 operation. This means the driver does not have to stop the vehicle to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

Chassis updates include ABS brakes, now standard on Ranger XLT models, and are available as part of the optional safety pack across the rest of the line-up. Up front, the braking system features 289mm ventilated discs while the rear wheels have leading and trailing drums that are 21mm wider than the outgoing model. When ABS is fitted, added stopping power is provided by electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), which adjusts the braking bias front-to-rear for optimum braking power.

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