Ford Ranger for US market gets 270 HP gasoline 2.3L turbo

Ever since the the debut of the T6 Ford Ranger in Southeast Asia, Europe and other markets in 2011, the folks over in the United States have wanted to get their hands on one. Discontinued for the US market the same year the T6 was officially offered elsewhere, it looks like fans of the Ranger in the US wanted to have another relatively small pickup truck that offers style and power besides the larger F-150.

Now, Ford Motor Company is set to make that happen with the release of the US-spec 2019 Ranger. First revealed early this year during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the 2019 Ranger essentially looks the same as its international counterparts, albeit with some minor changes here and there.

But what makes the US-spec Ranger different from the rest of the world is its engine. Unlike other markets which get a choice of turbo-diesel engines, the 2019 Ford Ranger in the US only gets one engine, a gasoline-powered 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four. It generates 270 PS along with a healthy 420 Nm of torque and is mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission. With it, Ford claims that the 2019 Ranger produces the most amount of power in the midsize pickup truck segment, beating out V6-powered competitors from other brands.

“Think of the Ranger as the biggest and most capable backpack for your gear. With 1,860 pounds (843.6 kg) of maximum payload, the Ranger can haul nearly a ton of gear to enable your next adventure,” said Rick Bolt, Ford Ranger Chief Engineer.

Besides beating the competition via horsepower and torque figures, Ford also said that the 2019 Ranger offers best-in-class towing on any gas-powered truck in its class. The 2019 Ranger has a towing capability of 3401 kg when equipped with the optional tow package and trailer brake control.

There is no word, however, if the 2.3-liter EcoBoost will be offered in other markets besides the US. Currently, the refreshed Ranger in the Philippines is available with two turbo-diesels, the carried-over 2.2 TDCi, and the new 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine. The former still produces 160 PS and 385 Nm while the latter is available in two states of tune; 180 PS with 420 Nm (single-turbo) and 213 PS and 500 Nm of torque (bi-turbo).

The 2019 US-spec Ford Ranger will officially be available in the US come next year and will be built at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.