2022 Ford Ranger

When the next-generation Ford Ranger line-up arrives in the middle of 2022, it’ll initially consist of five trim levels. That’ll grow to six later when the next-generation Raptor joins the line, while we expect special editions to return in due course.

2022 Ford Ranger XL:

As before, the XL is the entry point to the Ranger range. It’s distinguished from the others by its 16-inch steel wheels and a black grille, along with halogen daytime running lights.

Though it’s the fleet-spec Ranger, it still has the new digital instrument cluster. Its touchscreen isn’t the largest of the new Ranger line-up but, measuring 10.1 inches and with a portrait orientation, it’s still larger than any of the screens in the outgoing Ranger.

The seats are upholstered in Ebony cloth. The outgoing Ranger XL currently offers the widest spread of body styles, with pickup and cab-chassis body styles, 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains, and Single, Super and Double Cab bodies. Expect the new Ranger XL to offer a similarly comprehensive array of models, particularly if Ford wants to take some sales from the current 4×2 ute leader, the Toyota HiLux, and claw past the HiLux range overall in sales.

2022 Ford Ranger XLS:

The XLS also wears a black grille with halogen daytime running lights, though it builds on the XL with halogen fog lights and 16-inch alloy wheels in a “Dark Sparkle Silver” finish.

Inside, it’s largely the same as the XL, from its black cloth upholstery to its 10.1-inch touchscreen.

In the outgoing Ranger, the XLS is only available as a 4×4 Double Cab Pickup. It’s unclear if this will be the same with the new model, though Ford has only released photographs of it in this body style.

2022 Ford Ranger XLT:

With the XLT, we now step up to the variants with a greater skew towards private buyers.

The XLT wears Ford’s distinctive “C-Clamp” LED headlights, connected by a two-tier chrome bar that spans the grille.

Like the XLS, its alloy wheels are also finished in “Dark Sparkle Silver”, though they’re larger 17-inch units.

The black cloth upholstery features a “hex” pattern, while the air vents have a Satin Aluminium finish.

Currently, the XLT is offered in Super and Double Cab bodies and predominantly offered with 4×4, though Ford also offers a 4×2 Double Cab Pickup ‘Hi-Rider’.

2022 Ford Ranger Sport:

No longer a mere special edition, the Sport is becoming a full-time member of the Ranger line-up. It loses the XLT’s chrome grille bar, but gains a metal-look front skid plate. The 18-inch, machined-face alloy wheels feature Asphalt Black accents and a clear matte finish.

There are Gloss Black air vents with Satin Aluminium accent, while Ford says “aero grain texture features on the upper dash and in all the storage areas”. The seats appear to be upholstered in leather trim. We expect both this and the Wildtrak to be offered only in the Double Cab Pickup body style. 2022 Ford Ranger specifications.

2022 Ford Ranger Wildtrack:

The Wildtrak will be the most expensive Ranger at first and the only one to come standard with the larger 12.0-inch touchscreen, until such time as the Raptor arrives.

Though it’ll be offered with the same exterior colour palette as other models, orange remains the Wildtrak’s signature colour. To that end, it features black leather upholstery with Cyber Orange stitching on the seats, shifter and steering wheel. The seats also feature a Cyber Orange ‘Wildtrak’ wordmark.

Other interior accents are finished in Boulder Grey or Satin Aluminium. For example, the triangular cut-outs at the base of the centre stack are finished in the latter.

The Wildtrak rides on Boulder Grey 18-inch alloy wheels and features a bolder mesh insert for its grille.

Its hero colour is Luxe Yellow, which replaces Lightning Blue on the colour palette. Otherwise, it’s available in the same colours as the rest of the range.

Ford Ranger Raptor

The faster, more powerful, and even more hardcore second-generation Ford Ranger Raptor has been revealed in full, as the Blue Oval seeks to shore up its dominance in the performance pickup market.

The headline news is a radically different engine: a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 shared with the Bronco Raptor offering nearly twice the power as the outgoing diesel, and an exhaust system with variable valves for different sounds depending on driving mode.

While the formula remains the same as before, down to the presence of a manic Baja high-speed 4×4 mode, Ford also claims to have made this iteration even better at rapid off-roading than before, and tougher to boot. In other words, this one is designed to sit even more comfortably under the Ford Performance umbrella alongside some elite muscle cars and hot hatches.

Case in point: it’s a (claimed) full minute quicker around a 10km off-road test track than the old Raptor.

Ford is giving its gen-two Ranger and Ranger Raptor a handful of colours including some brilliant bright colours for the alter, including one exclusive to the flagship ute.

However, if you like 50 shades of grey – or, in this case, three – you’ll still have some options that’ll suit.

The colour palette comprises the following:

• Absolute Black
• Aluminium
• Arctic White
• Blue Lightning
• Meteor Grey
• Sedona Orange
• Luxe Yellow (Wildtrak only)
• Code Orange (Raptor only)
• Conquer Grey (Raptor only)

Ford provides a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the four four visits are capped at $329 apiece.

The Ranger’s Aussie DNA remains evident once you break out of the city limits and find yourself loping along ungraded gravel and coarse tarmac.

It rides over corrugations with a minimum of fuss, offering plenty of softness in the suspension, matched with good amounts of control on rebound — even when there’s nothing heavy in the tub.

It’s also quiet in terms of the degree to which tyre roar, wind noise, and engine gruffness are filtered out of the cabin at cruise.

While the core ladder frame and coil front/leaf rear suspension setups are familiar, Ford Australia’s engineers added 50mm in track width and moved the dampers outboard, theoretically tamping down ever further on hopping and bouncing when lightly laden.

It’s also worth noting that Rangers graded XLT, Sport and Wildtrak now have rear disc brakes rather than drums.

The Bi-Turbo four is largely familiar but Ford has made some changes to iron out some bugs that affected the first iteration – there were indeed some issues.

Its sequential, differently-sized turbos cut lag, and the gear spacings perhaps felt better in this incarnation, meaning it seemed less fussy or prone to hunt about for the perfect ratio. It does still have a slim peak torque band, but overall it’s a refined and sufficiently punchy setup.

Yes, most people will lust after the $3000 more expensive V6, but the Bi-Turbo four offers the sort of punch its displacement belies, and there’ll almost certainly be much shorter wait lists.

The headline V6 offers better punch – 30kW and 100Nm to be precise – as you would expect, as well as idle stop/start and the aforementioned permanent 4WD. It’s also quite refined from outside, with a fairly muted diesel idle.

Overall it offers more immediate punch off the mark as well as better traction in the right setup, and a superior surge of torque from 1750rpm for easier overtaking. It isn’t hard to see the appeal, and it certainly puts a D-Max or HiLux in the shade for refinement and performance.

The difference in fuel use between the four-cylinder (7.6L/100km) and V6 (8.4L/100km) is actually quite small.

The XL 17-inch Steel Wheel Pack for 4×4 models adds:

• 17-inch steel wheels
• 17-inch steel spare wheel
• All-terrain tyres (inc. spare wheel)

The XLS 17-inch Alloy Wheel Pack for 4×4 models adds:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• 17-inch steel spare wheel
• All-terrain tyres (inc. spare wheel)

The XLT 17-inch All-Terrain Tyre Pack for 4×4 models only adds:

• All-terrain tyres (inc. spare wheel)

The Sport 18-inch All-Terrain Tyre Pack adds:

• All-terrain tyres (inc. spare wheel)

The XL/XLS 4×2 Off-Road Pack adds:

• Rear differential lock
• Locking rear axle
• Steel underbody protection
• 17-inch steel wheels
• All-terrain tyres

The XLT 4×2 Off-Road Pack adds:

• Steel underbody protection
• All-terrain tyres
• 17-inch spare wheel

The Raptor Beadlock-Capable Wheel package adds:

• 17-inch alloy beadlock-capable wheels
• Matching spare wheel

Accessory beadlock ring kit sold separately.

The XLS Tech Pack adds the following:

• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• Dual-zone climate control
• Second-row air vents
• Keyless entry with push-button start
• Body-coloured exterior door handles

The Wildtrak Premium Pack adds:

• Six overhead auxiliary switches
• Matrix LED headlights
• Full LED tail lights
• 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium sound system

The Touring Pack (XLT and Sport 4×4 pick-up only) adds:

• Integrated trailer braking controller
• Surround-view camera
• Exterior side mirror puddle lamps
• Zone lighting

The Towing Pack (XL and XLS) adds:

• Integrated trailer brake controller
• Tow bar

There are a number of stand-alone options that include the following:

• Raptor decals
• Heavy-duty suspension (XL 4×2 and 4×4 only)
• Spray-in bedliner (XL, XLS, XLT and Sport pick-up only)

Ford had taken about 17,000 new Ranger orders as of two months ago and, while it hasn’t provided an updated figure today, it’s clear the order intake and wait list has grown even greater.

The Ranger competes in Australia's bustling dual-cab ute segment, taking on the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, and Volkswagen Amarok.

To the end of July 2022, Ford sold a total of 1750 Ranger 4x2 models and 20,978 Ranger 4x4 models, making 22,728 sales in total.

It was outsold by the Toyota HiLux (38,412 sales).

The Ranger did outsell the Mitsubishi Triton (18,799 sales), Isuzu D-Max (10,392 sales), and Mazda BT-50 (8822 sales) though.

The old Ranger was still among the best utes right to the end of its life, so the fact this new one is clearly the best option in its class should not surprise you.

The new V6 with full-time 4×4 is great for those who tow, the interior has improved ergonomics and flashier screens to be more SUV-like than ever, it has clever little touches like its app-based functions and the rear box step, and there’s a grade to suit everyone.

It also retains the Ranger’s signature ride quality over corrugated gravel and coarse Aussie B-roads since it was born on them, has slightly more connected-in-feel electric power steering, and walked all over the off-road challenges we collectively threw at it.

The new Ford Ranger and next-generation Volkswagen Amarok are twins under-the-skin and share powertrains.