The international or global version of the Ford Ranger is a series of pickup trucks sold by

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

under the

Ranger A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...

nameplate mainly for markets outside the Americas since 1998. The 1998–2011 international Ranger models were jointly developed with

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

, sharing the same assembly line and most parts with the

Mazda B-Series The Mazda B series is a series of pickup trucks that was manufactured by Mazda. Produced across five generations from 1961 to 2006, the model line began life primarily as a commercial vehicle, slotted above a kei truck in size. Through its ...

and its successor, the

Mazda BT-50 The Mazda BT-50 is a compact/mid-size pickup truck produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mazda since 2006. It is a larger version of the predecessor B-Series pickup and is not sold in the Japanese and North American markets. The second-generat ...

. It is a successor of the

Ford Courier Ford Courier is a model nameplate used by Ford since the early 1950s. First used in North America for a sedan delivery, the Courier nameplate has seen use worldwide for multiple types of vehicles. The Courier nameplate was also used by Ford for ...

as the Mazda-based Ford global pickup. The vehicles are mainly produced in the manufacturing plants in Rayong, Thailand and

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

, South Africa. The first-generation Ranger was produced from 1998 to 2006, with a facelift in 2002. The 2006–2011 second-generation Ranger was introduced after the B-Series was replaced by the Mazda BT-50. The globally-marketed T6 Ranger has been produced since 2011. In contrast to the previous versions, the T6 platform-based Ranger was designed by

Ford Australia Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Com ...

, and is also marketed in North America since 2019. __TOC__

First generation (PE/PG/PH; 1998)

The 1998–2006 Ranger/Courier (codenamed PE, PG and PH in Australia) is a rebadged fifth-generation (UN) Mazda B-Series with a reworked front fascia as a differentiation. Production at the AutoAlliance Thailand plant began in May 1998, being one of the first vehicles to roll off the production line at the newly built

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...

manufacturing plant. This model was sold as the

in Australia and New Zealand. Engine options included a petrol engine which is a 2.6-litre unit that produces at 4,600 rpm and of torque at 3,500 rpm, while the diesel engines were either 2.5-litre that produces and a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel that offers at 3,500 rpm and at 2,000 rpm. The

turbo-diesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...

engine features a

single overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

design, three valves per cylinder, intercooler, indirect fuel injection and two internal

balance shafts Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force. ...

to reduce vibration and noise. Ford and Mazda has decided not to use a conventional radial type

turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

on its new engine. Instead, a new diagonal exhaust gas flow turbocharger is used which was claimed to improve charging efficiency, reduce

turbo lag In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

and improve

throttle response Throttle response or vehicle responsiveness is a measure of how quickly a vehicle's prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, can increase its power output in response to a driver's request for acceleration. Throttles are not used in diese ...

at low speeds. The vehicle had received two stars of Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety rating in 2006. Dual front airbags were optional and were not fitted to the test vehicle. File:2000 Ford Ranger Super Cab Diesel 2.5 Front.jpg, Ford Ranger Super Cab (pre-facelift) File:2000 Ford Ranger Super Cab Diesel 2.5 Rear.jpg, Ford Ranger Super Cab (pre-facelift) File:2000 Ford Courier (PE) GL 4-door utility (2015-07-03) 01.jpg, Ford Courier double cabin (pre-facelift) File:2000 Ford Courier (PE) GL 4-door utility (2015-07-03) 02.jpg, Ford Courier double cabin (pre-facelift) File:Ford Ranger (Extreme, first generation) (front), Serdang.jpg, Ford Ranger Extreme double cabin (pre-facelift) File:Ford Ranger (Extreme, first generation) (rear), Serdang.jpg, Ford Ranger Extreme double cabin (pre-facelift)

Facelift

The late 2002 facelift models feature a new grille, headlights, front bumper and front fenders and improved interiors. It has been restyled to mimic the design of the North American F-Series trucks. Power steering is now standard across the range and swaps its variable ratio for a new fixed gear ratio. In 2005, Ford released the 2.5-litre common rail injection turbo-diesel engine. The engine features a

dual-mass flywheel A dual-mass flywheel (DMF or DMFW) is a rotating mechanical device that is used to provide continuous energy (rotational energy) in systems where the energy source is not continuous, the same way as a conventional flywheel acts, but damping any ...

which sharpens responses while also reducing vibration and a

variable geometry turbocharger Variable-geometry turbochargers (VGTs), occasionally known as variable-nozzle turbines (VNTs), are a type of turbochargers, usually designed to allow the effective aspect ratio of the turbocharger to be altered as conditions change. This is done ...

is employed to cut turbo lag and extend the torque band. The common-rail architecture of the Ranger's engine has improved its noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels. In the same year, Ford also introduced a V6 engine option for the Courier. The V6 model was made in Thailand before it was sent to South Africa where it was mated with the short-stroke 4.0-litre SOHC ''Cologne'' V6 engine, previously re-engineered for the

Ford Explorer The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...

, which produces of power and of torque. The fuel tank is also increased to 80 litres, up 10 litres from the models fitted with the smaller engines. Ford engineers also retuned the front shock absorbers for improved ride quality and body control over rough roads for the V6 model compared to the

inline-four A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...

models. File:Ford Ranger front 20080419.jpg, Ford Ranger Super Cab (facelift) File:Ford Ranger front 20081202.jpg, Ford Ranger dual cab (facelift) File:Ford Ranger (Southeast Asian, second generation) (rear), Serdang.jpg, Ford Ranger dual cab (facelift)

Second generation (PJ/PK; 2006)

The 2006–2011 Ranger (codenamed PJ and PK in Australia) is an updated version of the previous generation. The design of the PJ Ranger was previewed by the Ford 4-Trac Concept which debuted at the Bangkok Auto Show in December 2005. The concept vehicle design development was led by Ford Asia-Pacific chief designer, Paul Gibson. The production version was designed and built in Thailand in tandem with the Mazda BT-50. While the previous generation Ranger is a rebadge of the Mazda B-Series with a different fascia, the Ranger now has its distinct styling designed by former

design chief, Simon Butterworth. As the result, the PJ Ranger picks up the new corporate design that appeared on several Ford North American light trucks. Although the changes are drastic compared to the PE/PG/PH Ranger hence Ford's "all-new" claim, it is instead a comprehensive redevelopment of the old model. In Australia and New Zealand, the Courier nameplate was dropped in favour of Ranger to distance itself from a 'basic workhorse' image and to align the model name with its Asian and European counterparts. Ford did not offer a petrol engine option in the PJ/PK Ranger, instead offering a choice of two four-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engines, one a 2.5-litre, the other a 3.0-litre. The 2.5-litre ''Duratorq'' engine is a DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel unit, featuring Bosch common rail direct fuel injection and a variable geometry turbocharger. It makes at 3,500 rpm and of torque at 1,800 rpm, up from the previous 2.5-litre SOHC indirect injection turbo-diesel unit which makes and of torque. While the larger 3.0-litre engine peaks with at 3,200 rpm and at 1,800 rpm. Both engines were double-overhead camshaft. File:2007 Ford Ranger Thunder TDCI Automatic 3.0 Rear.jpg, Ford Ranger dual cab (PJ; pre-facelift) File:2006-2008 Ford Ranger (PJ) XLT 4-door utility 03.jpg, Interior (pre-facelift)

Facelift

The Ranger received a facelift in 2009. Designated as the PK Ranger, it has received new front and rear styling which was previously previewed by the Ford Ranger Max Concept at the 2008 Thailand International Motor Expo. It featured a new three-bar grille, new front bumper, and a redesigned bonnet. Other changes include the clear tail lamp design, new exterior mirrors, side air vents and new tailgate cladding. A new flagship Wildtrak sports trim was also introduced. Inside changes include newly designed seats and door panels, as well as new colors and trimmings. File:Ford Ranger XLT 2.5 TDCi Doppelkabine (II, Facelift) – Frontansicht, 10. September 2011, Düsseldorf.jpg, Ford Ranger dual cab (PK; facelift) File:Ford Ranger XLT 2.5 TDCi Doppelkabine (II, Facelift) – Heckansicht, 10. September 2011, Düsseldorf.jpg, Ford Ranger dual cab (PK; facelift)

Third generation (P375/PX; 2011)

The Ranger nameplate was consolidated onto a single globally-marketed model, the P375 Ranger, in 2011. Based on the T6 platform, it replaced both the 1998–2012 Ranger which was sold in North and South America, and the Mazda-based PJ/PK Ranger which was sold in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe regions. Designed by Ford Australia, the T6 Ranger was unveiled at the

Australian International Motor Show The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbo ...

in Sydney in October 2010, with its production started in mid-2011. The P375 Ranger is also built and sold in North America starting from January 2019.

Fourth generation (P703; 2022)

The P375 Ranger is succeeded by the P703 Ranger, which is the fourth-generation international Ranger and the fifth-generation Ranger in North America. It was introduced in November 2021, continuing to use the T6 platform with revisions.

References

External links

* {{Modern European Ford vehicles Ranger (Mazda-based) Cars introduced in 1998 2000s cars 2010s cars Pickup trucks Rear-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles ANCAP pick-ups