Ford Ranger pick-up trucks have been spotted near the Chennai Ennore / Kattupalli port, though they are not fully assembled. As evident from the image the pick-up trucks were being transported via trailers on a flatbed with 2 Ford Rangers on a single trailer. The image suggests that the vehicles were in brand new condition but they were without doors, bumpers and rear loading bay as well.
Ford is likely to import the Ranger pick to India and will be on sale sometime next year. This pick-up truck is aimed towards the emerging lifestyle segment in India. The Ranger will come with a ladder-on-frame chassis and the suspension system has been updated to take on any terrain on its stride. The rear suspension now gets Endeavour inspired Watt’s linkage instead of the traditional leaf spring which will improve the vehicle stability.
The performance spec of the Ranger, the Ford Raptor comes with a different setup. The Raptor uses the race-spec coil-over shocks from Fox racing improving 30% more wheel travel and in addition to this Raptor also has an additional ground clearance of 283mm and 800mm of water wading capacity.
The Ranger Raptor is expected to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine which makes about 170 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque, which is the same engine that does the duty in the Endeavour as well. In the twin-turbo state of tune, the engine is expected to produce 216 PS of power and 500 Nm of torque which will be mated to a 10-speed SelectShift transmission coupled with an advanced terrain management system.
In terms of features, the pick-up truck is expected to get LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights, plastic claddings on the wheel arches, off-road style Baja inspired bumpers, a skid plate, a large imposing grille with ‘Ford’ branding, a centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment system, semi-digital instrumentation, automatic climate control, vertically oriented air-con vents, contoured seats with Raptor branding etc. The Ford Ranger Raptor is likely to arrive as a CBU (Completely Built-Up Unit) under the 2,500 homologation-free rule.
