Ford hasn’t said officially what, if anything, will replace the U.S.-built Ford Ranger when production ends in 2011, but recent spy photos captured just today, as well as others three months ago, point to a brand new, globally produced small pickup taking its place by 2012. As for its name, we haven´t been able to confirm if it will carry over the Ranger name, or use the F-100 designation.
That new pickup will likely mean all Ford Ranger models would be built on a single global platform, dubbed T6. The current overseas Ford Ranger shares only its name with the Ranger built for North America. The move is expected to mirror Ford’s recent product strategy to cut costs by designing new vehicles on a single global platform.
Left- en right-hand drive
The T6 test trucks spotted are configured in both left- and right-hand drive versions, and are longer and wider than the current overseas Ranger. The test mules that we photographed are powered by diesel and gas engines. An industry source says the T6 Ranger for the U.S. will likely be powered by a new 1.6-litre four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged EcoBoost engine producing at least 175 horsepower. Ford's 3.0-litre Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, rated at 154 horsepower, is expected to be carried over in the new truck for buyers outside the U.S
