Ford got the recipe right with the ‘next-gen’ Ranger when it launched in 2022, with the ute receiving praise for its Australian-engineered base, leading to its becoming the nation’s best-selling vehicle.
While the four-year mark would herald a mid-life facelift for most vehicles, Ford has now rolled out minor changes to the Ranger, such as the deletion of its chrome and silver exterior trim for black highlights, and the axing of the popular bi-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.
By reducing the number of diesels in the lineup from three to just two, the single-turbo 2.0-litre four-pot and the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel remain the only offerings alongside the relatively niche plug-in hybrid and the performance Raptor.
For now, we’re focusing on the diesels, given the vast majority of orders made for the oilers, which have propelled the Ranger to its best-selling status.
To find out if the Ranger is still the king of the utes, Ford took us to the place it was developed – the You Yangs Proving Ground in Melbourne – to put it through its paces.
As reported when pricing was announced in November, one of the biggest changes to the Ranger lineup – excluding the deletion of the bi-turbo engine – is that the V6 engine is now available across the lineup, having not previously been offered in the base-spec XL.
This has given buyers greater access to the grunty 3.0-litre at power prices, with the most affordable V6-powered Ranger being the XL 4×4 single cab-chassis, starting from $52,100.
That represents a $6500 price gap to the single-turbo four-cylinder, or an increase of $3870 compared to the outgoing bi-turbo, however the V6’s figures on paper make it the most appealing offering.
With unchanged outputs of 184kW and 600Nm, plus the standard fitment of a full-time four-wheel drive system (4WD), the V6 is significantly more powerful than the four-cylinder, which also continues to produce 125kW and 405Nm, down 29kW and 95Nm on the bi-turbo.
In total, there are 14 V6-powered Rangers across the lineup, from the single cab-chassis XL right up to the Wildtrak and Platinum, as well as the off-road focused Tremor, the latter of which is only here for a limited time, as with the new Wolftrak.
For the Ranger V6, the recipe remains largely unchanged, with the class-leading V6 still maintaining to be the smoothest and most powerful turbo-diesel engine on the market, paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission which can always pick the right gear.
It’s untroubled at any speed, and through the Ranger’s multiple drive modes can be wound down for doughy response in Eco mode, to being prepared for anything when using the Tow/Haul function.
Engine noise in the cabin is still a highlight, with very little NVH intruding into the interior, something which is jarring after stepping out of a Super Duty with its snorkel mounted right above the driver’s window on the A-pillar.
If there’s one criticism of the V6 – and there are few – it’s that it can feel nose-heavy compared to the four-cylinder, however this is almost immediately cancelled out when there’s any load in the back, something the Ranger has obviously been designed for.
Despite this, the ride quality on everything from smooth highways to bumpy B-roads remains as possibly the best you’ll find in a leaf-sprung ute which can carry and tow as much as the Ranger. This extends to its ADAS calibration which drivers will be able to tell has been built from the ground up to work on Australian roads.
So, that’s enough about the V6, what about the upgraded Ranger four-cylinder turbo-diesel?
On paper, the changes might seem arbitrary. Ford has fitted a new fuel injection system but it doesn’t make any additional power or torque compared to prior to the update.
The big changes have been made inside the engine, where the much-maligned ‘wet’ timing belt has been replaced by a timing chain.
With this engine also featuring in the Transit – an extremely popular vehicle in overseas markets – it seems the numerous failures of the timing belt were too much for Ford to ignore, resulting in the move to the (hopefully) more reliable timing chain.
Again, this is not a change that any drivers will feel immediately, though it should keep the Ranger on the road for longer without needing extensive and expensive maintenance.
Where the big change has occurred on the four-cylinder turbo-diesel Ranger has been behind the engine, after the previously standard six-speed automatic transmission was replaced by the 10-speed from the wider lineup.
Though it’s still only available in rear-wheel drive (4×2) and part-time four-wheel drive (4×4) applications – missing out on the full-time system of the V6 and axed bi-turbo – the addition of the 10-speed has transformed the most affordable Ranger variants.
Only the 4×4 dual-cab versions of the four-cylinder Rangers have incurred a price rise ($700), while the 4×4 single-cab and 4×2 variants are either new or remain priced the same.
That’s a big win for trade-focused customers, who will find the new 10-speed equipped engine appealing, with the added ratios allowing the 2.0-litre to stay in its power and torque band more consistently.
While the engine lacks the edge of the bi-turbo it effectively supersedes, those who either hadn’t sampled the outgoing motor or would happily take the potentially greater reliability of the timing chain will be pleased with this offering.
In addition to this, the XL has been enhanced with more standard equipment, including a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen (previously 10.1-inch), dual-zone climate control (over single-zone), and rear air vents for dual-cabs.
All Ranger cab-chassis variants also now get Ford’s ‘Driver Assist Technology (DAT)’ bar, allowing tray-fitted examples to retain driver assist systems like blind-spot monitoring and alert, rear cross-traffic alert, a digital reversing camera, and rear parking sensors.
Ford has tried to make the Ranger look bolder from 2026 too, with the new Wolftrak and the updated Wildtrak getting coloured inserts on their front grilles and wheels. It’s not for everyone, but in a sea of same-same utes, it might be nice to let some buyers stand out.
In the Ranger’s colour choices, Blue Lightning has been deleted for the Wildtrak, while Ignite Orange and Acacia Green replace Luxe Yellow and Equinox Brown on the Wildtrak and Premium respectively.
On the whole, the 2026 Ford Ranger seems like a case of evolution over revolution, and time will tell as to whether it can not only keep the likes of the new-generation Toyota HiLux behind it, but also hold off buyers switching to alternatives like the BYD Shark 6.
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