It’s been a long time coming and finally Ford has revealed the all-new version of its bread-and-butter 2022 Ford Ranger. Stealing all the limelight at the Bangkok Motor Show 2022, the new Ranger took centre stage alongside the Ranger Raptor.

Taking a few leaves out of its larger siblings’ design book; the F-150, the new Ranger takes a further stride into the muscular and athletic angle. Those C-shaped headlights flanking the imposing grille are straight out of the F-150’s playbook and it looks just as impressive on the Ranger. Baby F-150 indeed.

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Only available to Thai customers for now, the order sheet there comprises 2 powertrains that are familiar to use as it’s carried over from the outgoing model. There’ll be a 2.0-litre diesel bi-turbo or a 2.0-litre single-turbo variant with a choice of a 6-speed manual or auto and a 10-speed automatic transmission depending on the variant.

Outputs are 170 PS and 405 Nm of torque for the 2.0-litre single turbo mill in the Ranger Sport, which is the standard trims for the new Ranger. It’s mated to a 6-speed automatic.

The Ranger Wildtrak is back as well and this trim carries over the same 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine with a 10-speed automatic. That extra turbo helps it make 210 PS and 500 Nm of torque. However, you can also option a Ranger Wildtrak with the lower output 2.0-litre single turbo mill. If you opt for that, you’ll get a choice between the 6-speed automatic or manual.

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Unfortunately, as you can see in the photos, Ford has opted to bring back its cumbersome Tiptronic switch on the transmission lever itself that proved to be quite a pain when previously introduced in other models.

The Ranger is a smart truck that plays into the lifestyle aspect of motoring. Hence, connectivity is key in appealing to that buyer demographic and the large portrait-style touchscreen measuring 10.1-inch or 12-inch for the infotainment is definitely the right move. It’s packing Ford’s latest SYNC4 as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

That imposing façade isn’t all courtesy of the new front end. The new Ranger is wider by 50mm and the wheelbase has also grown by the same amount. The wider track allows more room between the wheel arches to accommodate a full-width pallet in the bed. Furthermore, it’s got a new cargo management system designed with dividers to hold various sized items, and an onboard inverter that offers power to the box, with 400W of available power and an AC outlet in the tray, meaning customers can power a range of appliances like rice cooker when camping.

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Options is the name of the game and Ford Thailand has made a number of option packs available to customers. The most important however is that active safety is standard only on the Wildtrak. You'll have to splurge out extra for it if you want your regular Ranger Sport to have it.

Driving modes have grown to six; Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand. That last mode is a trickle down from the Ranger Raptor.

An equal number of colours are available for the Ranger Wildtrak. You now have the option of Aluminium Metallic, Meteor Grey, Absolute Black, Snowflake White Pearl, Luxe Yellow and Sedona Orange with prices starting from 999,000 THB (~RM 125,241).

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The regular Ranger gets one less colour with the choices being Aluminium Metallic, Meteor Grey, Absolute Black, Arctic White and Sedona Orange with prices starting from 929,000 THB (~RM 116,465).

Ford has also included FordPass with the new Ranger. Essentially, it’s an app that keeps you connected to your Ranger via your smartphone to keep track of vehicle usage, service reminders as well as a remote start feature to ensure the temperature inside the vehicle is comfortable when driver gets in.

Both Rangers will be built at Ford’s Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT) and Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) facilities in Rayong. Both facilities recently received massive upgrades in lieu of the new Ranger being assembled there for the region. Ford invested a total of THB 28 billion (~RM 3.5 billion) in Thailand not just on the plants but in modernising its local manufacturing operations and supplier network.

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All the next-gen Ford vehicles will come with a complementary 5 years or 150,000 km factory warranty and Ford Ensure first-class insurance for their first year.