2022 Ford Ranger and Everest to get plug-in hybrid?

The current Ford Ranger, codenamed the T6, has been around for a massive nine years now. Not that its age has slowed it down at all, with the myriad of facelifts, added technologies and even a high-performance Raptor variant ensuring that the Blue Oval remains at the sharp end of the one-tonne pick-up market.

But nips and tucks won’t stop it from eventually going away, and the indication is that the next-generation Ranger will be revealed sometime closer to the end of 2022. That’s according to Australian portal CarExpert, which claims to have received confidential details regarding the truck and its SUV sibling, the Everest.

The two vehicles will apparently retain the T6 platform, albeit modified and fitted with a pair of new powertrains. One engine that will be carried over is the Panther 2.0 litre twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, introduced with the T6’s last facelift and making 210 hp and 511 Nm of torque. We expect single-turbo variants to be available for cheaper, more utilitarian models, as with the current Ranger.

The divergence from its predecessor will happen further up the range, where the truck could receive a 3.0 litre V6 turbodiesel – derived from the F-150 in the United States, it is tipped to make 249 hp and a tree-pulling 600 Nm. It will likely be offered on the next Raptor, which could also get the F-150 Raptor’s adaptive Fox Racing Shox dampers introduced last year.

But the biggest news by far is the addition of a plug-in hybrid model, as Dearborn intensifies its electrification efforts. There won’t be a diesel under the bonnet, but a 2.3 litre turbo four-pot petrol – probably the same one found in the Mustang and Focus ST – linked to an electric motor. Together, they are expected to deliver a whopping 362 hp and 680 Nm, as well as a fuel consumption figure of 3.0 litres per 100 km. All models will reportedly be fitted exclusively with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This upwards trajectory in performance, sophistication and likely price will likely be matched by the technology on board, with the report also suggesting that the new Ranger and Everest will be available with the latest SYNC 4 infotainment system. First seen on the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, it will come with a smaller 12.8-inch portrait touchscreen and a 10.25-inch instrument display.

The development of the next-generation Ranger will be shared with Volkswagen, after the latter signed an agreement with Ford last year. This means that the future Amarok will share most of the Ranger’s structure, components and possibly even engines.

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