While covering the 2016 Overland Expo in Mormon Lake, Arizona, we spotted this Ford Ranger used by Baja Racks from Mexico. This Ford Ranger was being used as a demonstration model for a roof rack built by Baja Racks. Purchased in Mexico, this new Ford Ranger has a 2.2-liter diesel, six-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive.
According to the Ford Mexico site, the 2.2-liter diesel makes 125 horsepower (at 5,500 rpm) and 243 lbs-feet of torque from 1,750 to 2,300 rpm. It’s not as beefy as the Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon with the Duramax diesel, but this truck’s design dates back to 2010 and was never intended for our market. As such, the inexpensive nature of this Ford Ranger extends to power-plants and packaging.
There is a base gas engine that makes 164 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. It comes with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Starting around $17,000 U.S. (314,800 Pesos) the simply equipped (manual windows!) Ford Ranger diesel prices around $22,000 U.S. To put that in to perspective, the (extremely out of date) base model Nissan Frontier King Cab costs $18,290 and it is considered the least expensive truck in the United States. Imagine if Ford undercut Nissan…
We know very little about the impending return of the Ford Ranger to our market. We know that, by the time it hits our market, it will have competition from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, FCA, GM and, possibly, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. They will have to bring their “A” game if they hope to make a dent in the market.
Was Ford wrong to remove the Ford Ranger from the United States? Absolutely. They miscalculated buyers’ desire to buy a smaller ride verses a discounted F-150. This is abundantly apparent when you see how many consumers are heading to the new batch of mid-sized trucks.
One of the most striking parts of this Ford Ranger from Mexico (other than it’s amiable owner from Baja Racks) is its simplicity and excellent proportions. The only upgrade to the truck featured in this video was a two-inch lift and upgraded tires. The rest of the vehicle is refreshingly simple.
Check out the video from the Overland Expo and let us know what you think!
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