- The 2024 Ford Ranger grows in width, interior quality, engine choices, and storage space.
- $58,555 Ranger Raptor gains a 405-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6, 33-inch tires, and similar hardware as the Bronco Raptor.
- Both trucks are assembled in Michigan and will be available near the end of summer 2023.
The 2024 Ford Ranger and 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor continue the much-needed revitalization of the mid-size-truck segment. One might argue they were first to the party, having been revealed globally a few years ago. While we knew we weren’t getting the turbo-diesel engine or manual transmission, we wondered how otherwise the U.S.-spec truck would shape up. Now we’ve now been up close, sat inside, and learned more about the inner workings of both trucks.
Adios, Extended Cab and Long Bed
Like the Jeep Gladiator and new Chevrolet Colorado, the 2024 Ranger has eschewed different cab and bed sizes, as it’s available only with a four-door crew cab and a five-foot bed.
Riding on an upgraded version of Ford T6 platform that also underpins the Bronco, the wheelbase has grown 1.9 inches, but overall length is basically unchanged (technically, it shrunk by 0.2 inch). In effect the front wheels have moved closer to the front bumper, reducing its overhang by 1.9 inches and improving approach angle.
The rear suspension remains leaf springs on the Ranger (see Raptor details below), but the shocks have moved outboard closer to the wheels, making them less prone to encountering trail debris.
Overall width is up 2.3 inches, netting improvements in cab space and bed storage, which can now accommodate a four-foot sheet of drywall between the wheelhouses.
More Speed, Please
We don’t recall complaining about the previous generation’s powertrain. Last we tested it, the turbo-four and 10-speed automatic pairing netted 60 mph acceleration in 6.4 seconds. Apparently, Ford thinks that simply isn’t good enough, and we can’t argue with that kind of thinking.
While the entry-level XL ($35,755) retains the 2.3-liter four with 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, the XLT and Lariat offer the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 from the Bronco and F-150. Here, the V-6 is good for 315 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, which is similar to the Bronco’s rating on regular fuel. Regardless of the engine, the transmission remains a 10-speed automatic.
Two- and four-wheel drive systems are available, but the latter doesn’t come with a locking rear differential. We wouldn’t be surprised to see that offered on an upcoming, yet unannounced, Tremor variant.
Big Storage, Bigger Screens
The 2024 Ranger’s interior introduces welcome improvements and upgrades. The size of the base center screen has increased from eight inches to 10.1 inches, and a large, vertically orientated 12.4-inch screen is available. The instrument cluster is digital as well, sized at either 8.0 inches, like the Bronco, or 12.4 inches. While we had little time to use the screens, they looked attractive and responded quickly. The large center touchscreen even had games, like Sudoku.
Increases in height and width have netted larger interior dimensions, as total passenger volume has increased 0.7 cubic feet. There’s generally more headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in both rows than last year.
While most Rangers have a mechanical shifter, the Lariat 4×4 and Raptor have a small and short-throw electronic shifter that enables driver aids including trailer backup and an automated parallel and perpendicular parking system.
Also available are a 360-degree exterior camera, over-the-air updates, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Ford’s Zone Lighting system that lets owners selectively illuminate exterior lighting when parked. Rangers equipped with the FX4 off-road package gain Ford’s Trail Control off-road cruise control system.
Storage options are more plentiful. There’s a spot under the touchscreen that can hold a phone, and that area becomes a wireless charger on XLT and above. A shelf above the glove box can fit a phone or a wallet, and above that is a small secondary glovebox.
A significant improvement over the previous generation is the addition of functional storage space in the rear seats. Lifting the seat bottoms reveals two small cubbies that could fit items like jumper cables or a first-aid kit. The rear seatback also folds down flat, creating an even load surface for larger items you don’t want to put in the bed.
Tow the Line
The max tow rating remains 7500 pounds with the available Trailer Tow package, which also includes an integrated trailer brake controller. As with the F-150, owners can check trailer lights using a phone app.
The damped tailgate drops softly and, similar to the F-150, features a ruler that stretches end to end and pockets for C-clamps. For tailgating, there’s a bottle opener on the passenger side along with 12-volt and 120-volt outlets in the bed that can supply 400 watts of power. Maximum payload has increased versus the previous-generation crew cab to 1805 pounds for two-wheel-drive Rangers and 1711 pounds for four-wheel-drive models.
The Ranger Raptor
While one might think of the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor as a downsized F-150 Raptor, a more accurate description would be a Bronco Raptor without the 37-inch tires.
The Ranger Raptor employs a slightly less powerful version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 from that Bronco, at 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. And as with the Bronco, the engine is connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system that features locking front rear differentials as well as a low range and 4A all-wheel-drive mode. Even the crawl ratio is the same, at 67.88:1.
But instead of the 37s, the Ranger uses 33-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO3s wrapped around 17-inch wheels that will accept a beadlock ring from Ford’s accessory department. While not wide enough to mandate marker lamps like the Bronco, the Ranger Raptor’s wheel and tire combo increases track width by 3.5 inches while the enlarged fenders swell overall width by 4.3 inches versus the regular Ranger.
Exterior clearances improve throughout, though the Raptor’s 33-degree approach angle is unlikely to generate envy among owners of the Jeep Gladiator Mojave (44.7 degrees) or Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 (38.7 degrees). Ditto for its 10.7-inch ground clearance, which is 0.9 inch less than the Mojave and matches the ZR2’s. But, at 26.4 degrees, the Raptor has a stronger departure angle than the other trucks (25.1 and 25.5 degrees, respectively).
The Raptor’s desert racing intentions bias it more toward suspension control than clearances demanded by rock crawlers. To that end, underneath the Raptor’s enlarged fenders are coil-overs with adaptive Fox Live Valve dampers sized 2.5 inches up front. Joining the adaptive Fox dampers and coil-overs in the back are trailing arms and a Watts-link setup that replaces the regular Ranger’s leaf springs. Right behind the beefy-looking rear-axle is a full-size spare.
The Ranger Raptor otherwise offers similar hardware as the Bronco, from the exhaust’s X-pipe and dual outlets to the suite of off-road driving equipment, including a plethora of drive modes along with Ford’s Trail Control and Trail Turn Assist, which brakes the inside rear wheel during a turn at low speeds to tighten the turning radius. Unlike the standard Bronco, the Ranger Raptor is not available with a bumper that supports a winch.
Interior upgrades include seats with improved lateral bolstering, upfitter switches near the rearview mirror that make satisfying clicks when you flip them, and plenty of brightly colored details. As with the Bronco Raptor, switches on the steering wheel adjust dampers, steering, and exhaust separately from the drive mode. You’ll find large shift paddles, too.
The exhaust, by the way, tops out in Baja mode, a setting that’s paired with a warning in the gauge cluster that reads “off-road use only”—uh-huh, sure. As with the Bronco Raptor, this setting keeps the turbos spinning for a few seconds after the driver releases pressure from the gas pedal so that boost remains available when it’s time to accelerate again.
Versus the regular Ranger, the changes reduce max payload to 1411 pounds, which is still 211 to 260 pounds more than the Gladiator Mojave and Colorado ZR2, respectively. But the 5150-pound max tow rating falls just under the 6000-pound max ratings of the other trucks.
The Raptor’s starting price, at $58,555 with destination, also stretches higher than the Gladiator Mojave and Colorado ZR2. Neither of which, as Raptor fans will surely point out, have more than 400 horsepower.
Deputy Editor, Video
From selling them to testing them, Carlos Lago has spent his entire adult life consumed by cars. He currently drives the creative behind Car and Driver video.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
