Across Europe, pick-up trucks are no longer only to be found working hard on farms or building sites. More and more customers are discovering that their practicality can make pick-ups the perfect partners for leisure activities too.

To ensure the next-generation Ranger can deliver whether hauling tools to hard-to-reach locations or taking families and sports equipment on a weekend adventure, Ford engaged with existing pick‑up truck owners to help develop practical, clever features that make it the company’s most versatile, capable Ranger yet.

Order books for next-generation Ranger will open in Europe in late 2022 for customer delivery in early 2023.

A convenient workshop on wheels

Ford’s design team carried out over 5,000 interviews with existing pick-up truck customers to investigate how they use the cargo box – be they tradespeople, adventurers or families who needed to carry “stuff” – and developed many innovative ways to help them access and use the space more effectively.

• The rear load box access step makes climbing up into the cargo box much easier. Attached directly to the load box via two steel supports, the step has a strong, durable construction, and means you no longer need to climb onto a potentially muddy, slippery wheel to access the load box.
• Load box lighting means that setting up or packing away job sites or camping equipment and finding gear in the dark is a lot easier.
• Zone lighting can be controlled via the touchscreen infotainment system inside the vehicle or via the FordPass™ ² app on your smartphone. A combination of the headlights, puddle lamps, numberplate lamps and box lighting can be set to illuminate a 360-degree area around the truck, or just specific zones, to help safely inspect the area around the vehicle at night.
  
• The easy-lift tailgate, which can be raised and lowered with one hand, doubles as a mobile workbench. The tailgate work surface is designed to help owners with professional or DIY jobs. Two clamp pockets concealed by spring-loaded caps in the tailgate are designed to help secure timber or other project materials, while a built-in ruler with 10 mm increments (on models not fitted with a drop-in bedliner) makes measuring convenient.
• Optional Power to the box comes in the form of 12 V sockets and a 400 W inverter, meaning customers can power a range of appliances by plugging directly into the Ranger. With a 400 W capacity, items including a small oven, electric cool box, smartphone or laptop can all be run from the bed-mounted outlet.

Innovations to help carry loads

The all-new Ranger’s cargo box includes several new innovations that help owners customise the load area to suit their needs.

• The new drop-in bedliner incorporates functional divider locators so that owners can create their own compartments to store gear that they might otherwise have to carry in the cabin. Dividers can be custom-made from timber at home and then installed and removed as required. As a bonus, the improved and wider moulded profile on the bedliner is more comfortable on your knees, is much easier to clean and also means items are less likely to slip around.
• Loading and unloading the Ranger has never been easier. The cargo box has best-in-class volume of more than 1,200 litres, ³ meaning customers can carry more. With Ranger now 50 mm wider, the cargo box can accommodate a standard European pallet between the wheel arches (up to 1,224 mm) while the load box length runs from 1,638 mm to 2,305 mm depending on the variant.
  
• An internal rail with spring-loaded, adjustable cleats on either side of the cargo box allows customers to configure their cleats and tie-downs to suit every load. Cleats slide and lock into nine locations along the rail. There are also six fixed tie-down points in the cargo box.
  
• External tie-down rails offer additional cargo hauling flexibility and are designed to easily fit ratchet straps and ropes, while Wildtrak models are fitted with aluminium extrusions that double as tie-down rails that run the full length of the cargo box.
  
• Durable plastic box top and tailgate capping protects the load box edges and tailgate upper edge from damage. That means owners can load equipment into the cargo box without fear of damaging the paint on the top surface of the load box or tailgate.
• Load box access caps are removable plastic caps that cover attachment points for accessories such as canopies and equipment crossbars for camping and adventure gear.
• Standard roof top channel mounts allow easy fitment of roof accessories including racks or a platform. The all-new Ranger’s roof load limits are up to 350 kg (static) and 85 kg (dynamic).
• The optional powered roller shutter allows customers to open and close the box cover using their key fob, from a switch inside the cargo box, or from the instrument panel. Accessories channels down the sides of the roller shutter allow customers to easily fit mounts for bikes, kayaks, snowboards/skis, or camping gear. The powered roller shutter includes ice break and anti-pinch functions for additional convenience and protection.

The all-new Ranger will be available with over 150 factory-backed accessories from launch in Europe. Aware that Ranger is likely to be heavily accessorised, Ford’s engineers added space for a second battery under the bonnet and a pre-wired overhead auxiliary switch panel to facilitate fitment of light bars, winches, or more complex conversions such as tipper bodies and towing equipment.

Quotes

“We’ve really packed a lot into the next-generation Ranger to inspire owners to do more of what they love to do, with features that encourage them to explore new horizons.”

Gary Boes, Enterprise Product Line Management director, Ford Global Trucks

“My job is to think like our customers and integrate the features that deliver what they need. In fact, that’s the most rewarding part of my job – talking to owners, learning their requirements, engineering a solution, and then making it real. And regardless of whether our customers are do-it-yourselfers, small business owners or avid overlanders, they all rely on a cargo area that is functional, convenient, and durable.”

Anthony Hall, Ranger vehicle engineering manager

Links

• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnLpwdADRY8

Notes

¹ Ford of Europe reports sales for its 20 European traditional markets: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.

² FordPass App, compatible with select smartphone platforms, is available via a download. Message and data rates may apply.

³ Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and weight distribution.

For more information on this story please contact Peter Watt (pwatt3@ford.com : +44 7393 764837)