Spy photos point to a full fleet of Ford Ranger trims headed to our shores.
Not long after we brought you news of a potential “mini-Raptor” (Microraptor?) being tested by Ford, spy photographers have caught what just might be another Ford Ranger trim … this time with a milder off-road bent. These photos appear to be of a 2019 Ford Ranger Wildtrak, caught while testing in the Southwestern United States.
The existing Ranger is a popular truck in Australia, with the Wildtrak trim providing off-roaders added ground clearance and styling tweaks to make it stand out from the standard Ranger. In other markets, the current Wildtrak can be had with a 3.2-liter diesel engine, the same one that’s found in the Transit van.
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Poking around on Ford’s build and price tool for the Land Down Under, one discovers that the Wildtrak trim offers some off-road chops to match its butch styling, such as an advertised 9.3-inches of ground clearance – nearly that of a 2017 Wrangler Unlimited – and a water fording capability of more than 3.5 feet. Additionally, the Wildtrak has a raft of technology such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Also, trucks in Australia are very expensive.
In Australia, the Wildtrak is available solely in 4×4 Double Cab configuration, powered by the aforementioned 3.2L TDCi diesel engine. Both manual and automatic transmissions are offered. The silver roll bar shown in these spy photos is also available on XLT models.
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A truck such as this from Ford would make a great competitor to the Z71-equipped Colorado while neatly rounding out a showroom full of Rangers, um, ranging from XLT to mini-Raptor. It would also give Ford an answer to each Colorado trim found in the Chevy catalog.
It’s unclear if the oil burner will be offered on US models but it is becoming abundantly clear the Ranger will be offered in a number of configurations to compete with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. This “Raptor-Lite”, for example, would make for an excellent FX4 trim.
Expect to see the 2019 Ranger next year.
