Postby PariaMan » January 6th, 2015, 2:34 pm
Claimed to be “smarter, safer, smoother, stronger,” the Australian-developed Ranger is expected to receive a number of cosmetic and mechanical updates in a bid to close the gap between it and Toyota’s Hilux in the light commercial sales race.
Sporting an all-new front-end design inspired by the new Everest SUV, the Ranger features a new grille, front bumper and bonnet which give a more aggressive appearance.
The new three-bar grille design is similar to that of the new Everest, though the Ranger’s styling is differentiated with two vertical intakes similar to those seen on recent American market F-Series pick-ups.
The updated Ranger also gets new headlights taken straight from the Everest, while the new bonnet sits higher and features more aggressive lines and contours.
It is believed the Ranger’s interior will also receive a major overhaul for 2015, adopting the more stylish and user-friendly dashboard design of the newer Everest, while also gaining Ford’s SYNC2 multimedia interface with voice commands.
We also expect to see a number of insulation and suspension enhancements to give a smoother and quieter ride.
As for the ‘stronger’ part of Ford’s claims, the current Ranger is offered with a 110kW/375Nm 2.2-litre or 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine. The Everest will employ the same engines, though its power figures are unconfirmed – if the SUV gets some extra poke, the Ranger will likely see the same changes.
