The world market 2022 Ford Ranger was just unveiled in Australia. It looks like a grown-up Maverick and finally looks to have an interior that we could live with.
Ford is in the process of updating its entire pickup lineup and started with the reveal of the Maverick. Next up is the midsize body-on-frame Ranger, which we expect to see refreshed for the 2023 model year.
If the reveal of the world market Ford Ranger is any indication, the new Ranger is going to look like a very grown-up Maverick with a hint of F-150 thrown in to let you know the new truck is ready to do work.
Did Ford hear my (and so many others’) cries of disappointment when it released the latest Ranger on the U.S. market back in 2019? The main gripe was the rubbery and plastic-filled interior.
My dad even bought a 2020 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4, which is overall a great truck. But, it’s still a vehicle I don’t enjoy being inside of because of the bland and dated interior.
Let’s have a look at what the world market 2022 Ford Ranger has to offer, inside and out. Let’s also keep our fingers crossed that many of these updates make their way to the U.S. market soon.
The Ranger needs them to be competitive against the Tacoma, Frontier, Gladiator, and Colorado/Canyon.
New Ford Ranger Interior
First off, the interior of the new global market Ranger looks clean and modern. It’s a good mix of luxury and utility, and very much in line with the current Ford truck lineup. Of course, as with all modern vehicles, the interior is dominated by a massive infotainment screen and has few buttons.
A 10.1-inch touchscreen is standard, with a 12-inch screen on offer. Both run the latest SYNC 4 infotainment software, which is an impressive and competitive system.
Ford changed many of the driving modes and off-road feature controls from physical buttons to buttons within the infotainment screen. This provides a cleaner-looking interior with fewer buttons. We’ll have to get our hands on one before deciding if it is a good move or not.
A new available wireless charging pad and center console storage bin are useful additions. Other storage upgrades on the new Ranger include bigger door pockets, an upper glove box, and storage bins under and behind the rear seats.
We’re very happy to see all these interior upgrades. As you can see from the picture below, they were much needed. (The picture doesn’t do the Ranger interior justice on just how bad it is.)
2022 World Market Ford Ranger: What We Know
Of course, the exterior styling was also updated on the new Ranger. A new headlight, grille, and hood design are the first things that caught my eye. It really does look like a grown-up version of the Maverick to me. To me, the hood lines do have a hint of Chevy truck, though.
I really like the molded-in bed step in the rear bumper. It is similar to what you’d find on a full-size F-Series truck and is a functional and stylistic win for the Ranger.
We’ll likely still get the EcoBoost 2.3L four-cylinder engine backed by the impressive 10-speed automatic transmission. We are also very unlikely to get any of the diesel powertrain options that’s available to the world market. Sadly, we’re also unlikely to get the manual transmission option on offer in the rest of the world, either.
As with nearly every new vehicle hitting the market, the Ranger got bigger. In this case, the wheelbase was stretched by 2 inches — with the front wheels pushed forward — no doubt to offer up more interior legroom and improve the approach angle.
The track was also widened by 2 inches, to provide a more planted driving experience, more cargo room in the bed, and a more spacious interior.
To get better articulation and an overall better ride, the rear shocks have been moved outside the frame rails.
Dual recovery points in the front bumper look like they might come as a standard feature now.
New exterior zone lighting can be controlled through the FordPass app on your phone or through the interior infotainment screen. This lighting system should be a great addition for around camp.
The rest of the world will start seeing this new Ford Ranger next year, but we don’t expect to see an update to the Ranger we have now until at least the 2023 model year.
Fingers Crossed
We are holding out hope that for the next generation U.S. market Ford Ranger, we’ll get something very close to what the rest of the world will get next year. The current Ranger available in the U.S. is a great truck, with a better front bumper setup than the world market truck. But it offers a lackluster interior, even in Lariat trim.
The 2022 world market Ford Ranger gets a much-upgraded interior that would be very competitive in the U.S. midsize truck market.
The Ranger Raptor is also likely to find its way to U.S. shores with the release of this new Ranger generation, likely a model year or so after we get the new truck. We’d wager a bet that the Ranger Raptor will get a version of the 2.7L V6 currently on offer in the Bronco.
