Ford spotted testing plug-in hybrid Ranger

Friday, 6 August 2021

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Ford has been seen testing the next generation of Ranger ute over in Southern Europe recently, and it looks to be the anticipated plug-in hybrid model.

We can’t show you the photos, as they are covered in watermarks, but there isn’t much to see anyway – the ute is covered in heavy camouflage aside from the headlights, windows, wheels, and essential cooling areas.

The bits of the new Ranger that we can see point to a styling change to mimic the just-announced Maverick small truck and the larger F-150, with a few unique styling cues for itself.

The next generation of Ford Ranger is expecting to get a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

But there is a yellow sticker on the windscreen that indicates the tester has an electrified powertrain, and, considering Ford Europe has said every model it offers will have a plug-in hybrid option by 2024, this should be a plug-in Ranger.

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It’s unclear what will power the next Raptor but it is expected to get similar Fox shocks as the larger F-150.

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Ford looks to be developing a fully electric Ranger as well.

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Rumour has it, the powertrain will combine a turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol four-cylinder with a single electric motor to generate 270kW and 680Nm of torque. That’s well up on the current Ranger Raptor’s output of 157kW/500Nm from its twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine.

Interestingly, the prototypes are riding higher than usual, which could indicate off-road suspension components are also being tested beneath the camo. Nothing indicates that these are potential Raptor replacements, particularly as the tyres aren’t meaty all-terrains, but they could be future FX4 variants.

The next Raptor is also expected to get the latest generation of Fox Racing shock absorbers, similar to what holds up the 2020 F-150 Raptor.

This includes a new ‘jump mode’, which uses an internal ride-height sensor to variably adjust suspension damping depending on the road conditions. The system should end up offering a more rigid ride with added flexibility when driving over rocks or doing jumps.

As for other Ranger models, rumours last year pointed to Ford dropping the 3.2-litre five-cylinder in favour of the biturbo 2.0-litre diesel. A mid-spec model will use a 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 offering 186kW and 600Nm. There’s even a fully electric Ranger apparently in the works.

As for when the plug-in Ranger may debut, we could see it as early as next year. Nothing is official, however.

Meanwhile, a version of the plug-in Ranger engine may also make its way into a future Mustang, which has been tipped to get an electrified version.