Car First Drive: 2012 Ford Ranger Features & Specifications

Photos past times Ulysses Ang

2012 Ford Ranger - Remember that memorable diner scene inward When Harry Met Sally--the 1 where Meg Ryan had a fully-clothed orgasm? I had the real same sense alongside the all-new Ford Ranger as nosotros traversed through the roads of Northern Thailand; as well as patch Ryan's grapheme faked her's, mine was all real. The minute I stepped into the Ranger's cabin, I exactly couldn't halt grinning ear-to-ear as well as that grinning stuck on similar the Joker's all the way throughout the drive. Mind you, I'm non the form of guy that likes pick-ups, but this 1 genuinely blows me away. It's that good.

I've e'er liked the Ranger for all its focus on drivetrain technologies. While its rivals constantly went for the bells as well as whistles, Ford delved correct into the engine as well as transmission to give the Ranger a genuinely robust as well as athletic heart. From the real starting fourth dimension 1 to the electrical current model, the Ranger stood its the world offering competitive engines, transmissions as well as fifty-fifty four-wheel crusade systems. Of course, the 2012 is a completely different animal. Where typical model to model changes would trial inward shaver to small-scale changes, the all-new Ranger is completely new; thence novel inward fact that it impressed a automobile guy such as myself.

Ford's grouping of engineers was clear alongside the Ranger's deoxyribonucleic acid as well as they've managed to boom pretty much all their criteria. From the larn go, the Ranger was designed to induce got the next attributes: dandy to drive, exceptionally quiet, exemplary fuel economic scheme as well as special value. Designed since 2006, the novel Ranger rides on an exclusively novel frame which is twice as stiff as the electrical current model. Though yet shared alongside upcoming Mazda BT-50, the Ranger does induce got it's unique front/rear rails as good as intermission bits.

The stiffer frame is directly apparent when i took it out onto the opened upward road. The Ranger has none of the flex, none of the jarring you've come upward to await inward pick-ups. In addition, there's minimal, as well as I hateful minimal route noise. It's thence quiet; it puts my sedan to shame. This despite the fact the Ranger wears all-terrain Bridgestones measurement xviii inches on the range-topping Wildtrak model (lesser versions send 16- or 17-inch wheels). In addition, using a unique rails agency Ford engineers tin strength out really brand the stock wheels level alongside the cycle well. This gives the Ranger a butch appearance, but inward a higher identify all, it reduces aerodynamic drag.

Sitting on top of the stiff frame is a trunk that's equal parts sexy, equal parts functional. With over sixty years sense alongside pick-ups, Ford wants to play the heritage carte du jour alongside the Ranger's design. First, it carries the large, horizontal three-bar grille upfront. This blueprint cue, all-too familiar alongside Ford truck as well as SUV owners, is finished inward chrome emblazoned alongside the words, "Ranger". If you're non a large fan of chrome, the sportier Wildtrak substitutes the chrome for a high-gloss dark goal that industrial plant fifty-fifty better. Flanking the attention-grabbing grille are squared-off headlamps. Though they seem simple, they're angled to improve the Ranger's aerodynamic profile patch adding a shade of Explorer to the Ranger's front end end. Ford engineers also added to a greater extent than Explorer blueprint cues such as the clamshell hood opening as well as fifty-fifty the squared-off side mirrors.

Ford designers are clearly proud of the Ranger's side profile, a mutual weakness alongside pick-up design. Immediately, you'll notice the "boomerang"-shaped flexure over the doors as good as the strong, chiseled grapheme draw of piece of employment that runs across the entire length of the Ranger from hood to bed. It's a will to the Ranger's unmatched fit as well as finish, which is nigh to the score of upscale SUVs as well as rider cars. Also directly noticeable is how the B-Pillar is pushed forward, giving the Ranger mightiness to sit down 2 six-footers behind each other. And thence yous drib dead into the details similar the stamped cycle arches, the G-Shock inspired bed trim as well as tail lamps. Then to improve the Ranger's quietness as good as looks, the greenhouse is smaller. With to a greater extent than metallic to the doors, the Ranger is tranquillity alongside no noticeable current of air dissonance fifty-fifty at speeds beyond 140 km/h. Aside from reducing the current of air noise, the increased metallic on the doors allowed Ford to integrate a deeper pick-up bed, perfect for load-luggers who need zilch but the largest as well as deepest cargo carrying capacity. And for the recreational users, Ford has fifty-fifty equipped the pick-up bed alongside a mightiness outlet as well as integrated potable holders--impressive attending to particular if yous inquire me. And all off these blueprint features weren't exactly placed in that location to aspect good: they all contribute to a class-leading co-efficient of drag at 0.399.

Inside, aside from the spacious interior, the Ranger has been designed to live as smart as well as sexy as possible. The feature-quotient on this model has gone upward alongside features such as powered driver's seats, dual climate control, voice-command as well as fifty-fifty cruise command all as available options. But fifty-fifty on the mid-range models, the Ranger impresses alongside its utilisation of European-level plastics that wouldn't aspect out of identify inward a Fiesta or Focus. As classy as these plastics are, Ford engineers induce got also assured me that they're long lasting as well as durable as well.

The Focus levels of fit as well as goal is supplemented past times the same score of driving comfort as Ford's sporty compact. The driving topographic point is spot on alongside supportive seats as well as a grippy three-spoke steering wheel, despite a steering column non adjustable for reach. The thought is as adept as well as despite the 5.3-meter length, the Ranger is easily maneuverable. Rear visibility deserves special advert as the Ranger is easily chuckable into parking spaces alongside a bed that's fully visible. And if yous yet induce got doubts alongside your parking ability, some Rangers fifty-fifty come upward alongside a smart parking assistance consummate alongside nurture thought photographic television receiver camera to assist you.

As I ready off on the 150 kilometer drive, the grinning turned into a grin thank yous to the Ranger's first-class route manners. Despite the traditional ladder-on-frame structure as well as leafage jump nurture suspension, the Ranger is real stable. The steering may yet live a comport on vague, but it's quick-witted as well as responsive. As mentioned earlier, the Ranger is real tranquillity alongside minimal obtrusion from the current of air as well as the road; as well as despite beingness pumped alongside 35 psi on the tires, rarely felt jolting. Refined is something yous don't really utilisation to force pick-ups, but this 1 is.

The Ford Ranger is powered past times a novel identify unit of measurement of DuraTorq engines. Though comparisons alongside past times Ford projects including the Mondeo as well as Volvo D5 engines are unavoidable, Ford assures me that the Ranger uses a unique blueprint as well as configuration. The top of the draw of piece of employment models utilisation a 3.2-liter inline-5 that's adept for an fifty-fifty 200 horsepower as well as 470 Nm of torque. Those who desire a smaller engine tin strength out opt for the 2.2-liter inline-4 that's yet adept for 150 ponies as well as 350 Nm of torque. All Ranger DuraTorq engines also send variable-geometry turbo as well as directly injection. And dissimilar the Ranger's rivals, it carries 6 gears whether you'd similar to swap cogs yourself or induce got a figurer produce all the work. Thanks to the extra frontwards ratio as well as a 80-liter tank, the Ranger promises upward to 1,000 kilometers of cruising make betwixt fill-ups.

The monstrous horsepower as well as torque figures volition brand yous retrieve that the Ranger's unopen to undrivable. It's not. The mightiness delivery is highly linear as well as smooth. It's smoothen to the betoken that if you're wishing to live shoved into your topographic point each fourth dimension yous flooring the throttle, you'll live disappointed. Still, the engine's creamy smoothen as well as the gearbox costless from shock. Triple digit speeds are no elbow grease for the Ranger as well as yous tin strength out send a normal conversation doing so. And fifty-fifty if yous honour yourself puttering inward traffic, the gearbox keeps it's revs downwards conserving fuel as well as reducing engine noise. For those interested, the Ranger fifty-fifty comes alongside a manual +/- shift override. Though I didn't honour utilisation for this characteristic on the drive, the fact that it's in that location only adds to the cool factor. Shifting (pardon the pun) to the 6-speed manual, I flora swapping gears a drama-free affair. The clutch is easily modulated as well as the throws brusk as well as precise. Not 1 time did I endure from a missed gear alter fifty-fifty when I'm non accustomed to shifting alongside my left hand.

As roads started to plough into trails, the Ford Ranger showed its highly capable chassis. It only rode through whatever obstruction thrown at it. More than once, I flora myself deliberately trying to offset the Ranger past times climbing over larger pieces of rocks, but this pick-up remained unfazed. Even as the exam crusade units clocked to a greater extent than than 3,800 kilometers, they were costless from whatever form of rattle. The solidity is a will to Ford's grueling exam programme which equates to 10 years of extensive abuse (including heavy payloads, jackrabbit starts as well as such).

Serious off-roaders lament the lack of a locking nurture differential, but its four-wheel crusade organisation is adept as well as it comes alongside express skid differential as good as traction command (with trailer sway control) to larn yous out of gummy situations. The four-wheel crusade fifty-fifty features a shift-on-the-fly organisation which allows the front end wheels to decouple fifty-fifty at speeds upward to lxxx km/h. And when yous regard unsafe situations as well as remove to grind to a halt, yous tin strength out rely on the responsive as well as well-modulated brakes. The models I drove fifty-fifty had anti-lock brakes as well as corner brake control.

At the terminate of drive, I was fifty-fifty made to cross a river. Again, no elbow grease for the Ranger thank yous to its 800-mm H2O wading depth. The cloak-and-dagger hither is putting all sensitive electronics as well as engine parts way upward the hood to avoid getting H2O logged. Plus, the air intake features a one-way valve designed to proceed H2O out. In illustration yous remove 1 of them snorkels, Ford's got yous covered too. Simply popular out 1 of the faux side vents, as well as it becomes a identify to fit your raised intake. No drilling, no punching--it's all plug as well as play.

Ford only designed the all-new Ranger approximately its heritage, but inward the terminate it came out alongside a pick-up that's a world-beater inward every sense of the word. It shouldn't live surprising as no other companionship comes unopen to the Blue Oval's extensive sense inward designing as well as technology scientific discipline the world's best pick ups. The all-new Ford Ranger genuinely is a stone star, as well as I for 1 turned into a groupie. Ford has made me a believer inward pick-ups as well as that yous tin strength out an orgasm fifty-fifty alongside your clothing on.